‘Enough Is Enough’: CATU Puts Wicklow County Council On Notice Over Three Homeless Families
“These aren’t just statistics,” CATU said, “they’re Laura, Rachel, Zeineb, and their children. They need a home now.”
Laura Brett is a mother of two in Bray. After a year of engaging with Wicklow County Council, the best they have offered her is a place with no proper cooking or bathroom facilities – a home where she cannot safely care for her children.
She is not alone. On 21 May, the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) North Wicklow delivered a formal notice to the council, demanding immediate, medically appropriate accommodation for Laura and two other families. Director of Housing Michael Nicholson had declined a face‑to‑face meeting. Four weeks on, the families say nothing has changed.
“We’ve seen entire estates overrun by rodents, apartments so thick with mould you’d swear they were growing penicillin, and a council that simply won’t engage,” said CATU member William McGeown. “Enough is enough.”
The three cases
- Laura Brett: Evicted in Bray with two young children. Despite a year of engagement, the council has only offered accommodation without basic cooking and bathroom facilities.
- Rachel Moore: Formerly of Roundwood. Chronic illness caused by mould in her private rental forced her out. She found a suitable apartment in Wexford, but the council failed to transfer her Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), leaving her unable to secure it and risking a return to hazardous housing.
- Zeineb Aliieva: Evicted alongside her four children (one with special needs) and her elderly mother after the landlord unlawfully withheld paperwork required for rent supplement or HAP.
What CATU is demanding
- Good‑faith engagement: Wicklow County Council must acknowledge and respond to all correspondence within five working days. No more ignored calls.
- Immediate, appropriate offers: Accommodation that meets the medical and family needs of each household, not just any roof.
The crisis in numbers
The families’ ordeal reflects a wider emergency in Wicklow.
- Homelessness has surged: figures from last year reveal 93 adults were in emergency accommodation in July 2025, up from 69 at the start of the year. Many more are sofa‑surfing and uncounted.
- Over 4,000 people sit on the social housing list, with single people facing waits of up to 15 years.
- 384 eviction notices were issued last year in 2025, largely driven by landlords selling up.
- 108 council homes lie boarded up; one‑third have been empty more than a year, six for over five years.
- Rents average €2,106 per month. A one‑bed fetches €1,800–2,200; a three‑bed, €2,400–3,000. Greystones and Delgany are among the costliest markets outside Dublin.
- New social housing delivery is erratic, just 9 homes completed in Q3 2025 after 91 in Q2 and 106 planned social homes in Blessington remain stalled.
Take action
CATU has launched a phone‑picket campaign. Supporters are asked to call Wicklow County Council’s housing team on 0404 20120 and use a prepared script. A petition is also live. Which can be found here. Persons affected or who want to support the action are welcomed to join CATU Here
“These aren’t just statistics,” the union said. “They’re Laura, Rachel, Zeineb, and their children. They need a home now.”
The transcript of the Instagram post, put out by CATU North Wicklow and CATU Wexford is as follows:
“PHONE PICKET FOR 3 HOMELESS FAMILIES — TODAY from 9-5!
Wicklow County Council continues to ignore Rachel, Laura, Zeineb, and their families.
We are taking action NOW. Here is how you can help.
9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Call anytime within those windows. If you can only call once, that is fine. If you can call a few times across the day, even better.
Wicklow County Council General Housing Team: 040420120
Alternative email: WWHousingTwo@wicklowcoco.ie
Read the script in our bio. Say it calmly and clearly. Do not get into a discussion or argument. If they try to ask questions or push back, just repeat the last line of the script and then say goodbye.
If you get voicemail, leave the full message. Please prioritise phone calls, or use the content of this script to make into an email.
Send it to friends, family, community groups, anyone who can give a dig out is super appreciated!
We also have a petition link in our bio (check our last post) to share. Let's show our members that Wicklow and beyond won't stand for this!”
