‘Mammy, I don’t like this adventure. I want to go home’

Tara Tevlin (24), her partner Thomas McGuinness and their son Leon (2), from Duleek, Co Meath, have been homeless since last April.

Their landlady told them in March 2014 that she wanted the apartment they were renting back so they began looking for alternative accommodation.

“The rent on the apartment was €650 a month, but there was literally nothing at that price,” says Tevlin. “Everything is between €850 and €1,000 which is an impossible amount.”

They are entitled to rent allowance, but the rent they may pay is capped by the Department of Social Protection at €550 a month. A search of a lettings website last week showed five two-bedroom properties available in Co Meath within the rent cap. None would accept rent allowance.

Separate

Tevlin and McGuinness stayed with separate friends for a number of months. They then moved in with Tevlin’s 74-year-old mother, all sleeping in one small room. However her mother has serious health difficulties and they had to leave last week.

They had been presenting at Meath County Council’s housing unit, and since last week they have been moved three times between emergency B&Bs. They are now booked into one until March.

“We’ve no idea what happens after that. We’ve been looking for somewhere to rent non-stop, but there’s nothing,” says Tevlin.

She is qualified as a healthcare assistant, while McGuinness is finishing an apprenticeship as a mechanic.

“Once we get jobs, we can get away from this system,” he says. “Stand on our own. We’re just looking for a bit of stability.”

Tevlin says she cannot seek employment without an address.

“I feel like I’m going to have a breakdown, like my head is going to explode. This is so stressful, not being able to get a home and not even knowing if we can.”

They’ve told Leon they are on an “adventure”, but are increasingly worried about him.

“When I was dropping him to playschool the other morning he asked, ‘Are you coming back to get me?’ That really upset me. I said, ‘Of course I am’ and he said, ‘Mammy, I don’t like this adventure any more – I want to go home’.”

They could rent an apartment for €850 a month, if the Department of Social Protection increased the rent cap for Meath.

Instead, Meath County Council is spending €2,000 a month to accommodate them in a B&B.

“There is no logic to what is happening to us. This Government is destroying people’s lives, playing lotto with my child’s future. He’s two and could do a better job,” she says.

A spokeswoman said Meath County Council could not comment on an individual case.

“The council’s homeless service does provide a range of supports to persons who present as homeless, or who are at risk of becoming homeless. The council’s settlement officers actively engage with clients with a view to resolving their immediate accommodation difficulties.”