“YOU can imagine the chaos – bunk beds crammed into every room, with no space for dignity or privacy.”
This was the reaction of one Limerick TD after witnessing the cramped scenes of 18 people living in a two-bedroom house in Limerick City.
The Limerick Labour TD said he was “truly shocked” after he saw in the overcrowded city home, issuing a call for the government to “finally act on slum landlords”.
Deputy Sheehan said the tenants, understood to be international students, were “misled into thinking this was acceptable accommodation”.
Following his visit to the rented home, Deputy Sheehan said the house was “crammed with beds” and represented a “massive health and safety risk”.
“I was truly shocked to witness the conditions in this house in my own city of Limerick. 18 people were living in a two-bedroom property, misled into thinking this was acceptable accommodation. It was overcrowded, unsafe, and frankly disgraceful. You can imagine the chaos – bunk beds crammed into every room, with no space for dignity or privacy,” Deputy Sheehan said.
“What I saw this week makes it clear that we need a proper crackdown on slum landlords. People are being taken advantage of and misled into living in conditions that put their health and safety at risk. This is not just a matter of poor quality housing – it is exploitation, pure and simple.”
In the wake of the harrowing, cramped living conditions, the Labour TD called on the government to “act on slum landlords and commit to a serious programme of regulation and investment in safe, affordable housing”.
“This is a symptom of a much bigger problem,” Deputy Sheehan said.
“Unfortunately, for far too many people, there simply isn’t decent and affordable housing available. The accommodation crisis is as bad as ever.”
Deputy Sheehan hit out that the “government has failed to grasp the nettle” on the housing crisis.
“Time and again, government has promised action, but they have consistently failed to deliver. It is young people, workers, and students who are paying the price.”
He said he was now “calling on government to take a serious look at what is happening on the ground in accommodation right across the country”.
“We need strong regulation and enforcement to protect tenants from exploitation, and we need a major public housing and student accommodation programme to ensure safe, affordable homes for all.
“This crisis is deepening every year, yet the response from government has been piecemeal and inadequate. Enough is enough.”