"Apart from Laura [Harrington of the ISPCC support group Leanbh), we have no chance. We are very grateful to the organisation. She brought us toys and playing cards and writing pads for the children when we were staying in a hostel. She visited them every week and played with them.
"We came more than a year ago from Cluj, Romania. We came here with the belief that life was good here, but we are finding it is not a whole lot better. At least here the police don't beat us as they did in Romania.
"There was so much prejudice there because we are Romany. The children couldn't go to school, we couldn't go to church and it was difficult to get medical treatment for our daughter, who needs a heart operation. I think it is better to die here than in Romania. Romania isn't our country. Our real country is India.
"When we first arrived, we stayed in a hostel where we had our own apartment. But then we were taken to a different place. Seeing as we are foreigners, we did what we were told.
"But it turned out to be a basement. We spent two weeks in that cellar with 200 other people and even had to pay for electricity.
"There is no money in the bank now, and for some reason Social Welfare stopped helping us. I don't know why. I waited in a queue in Social Welfare for seven hours last week and was asked to leave. It was embarrassing.
"Since we came a year ago, we have been quiet. we don't steal or cause any kind of trouble, but they look at us like we are criminals at that office. I didn't expect this type of problem in Ireland. In Romania we blame everything on the Communists.
"We spent that night on the floor of the police station. They saw the children shaking from the cold and gave us blankets. They brought us to a nearby hotel but we can't stay there any more.
"If we had a place to stay, Ireland would be fine. But right now there seem to be few possibilities for a better life."
In an interview with Hara Marks