Save Charlemont Street

dublin | housing | news report Thursday February 17, 2011 20:56 by Save Charlemont Street - Save Charlemont Street

Save Charlemont Street has been setup to highlight the injustice suffered by the people of Charlemont Street, Tom Kelly Flats at the hands of the socially inapt Property Developer Sean Reilly and Dublin City Council.

Save Charlemont Street is based on the belief that the residents' needs are of the utmost importance. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, we aim to highlight and combat the social deprivation that plagues the residents of Charlemont Street today!

It has been over ten years now since Dublin City Council unveiled their holy plan to redevelop and resurrect Charlemont Street, Tom Kelly Flats from the sad sorry state of disrepair it was allowed fall into.

Over ten years ago the residents of this community were promised that they would receive better living standards for all and promised new hope, in a new rejuvenated community, free from the deprivation and hardship that plagues the community today and to live together in new accommodation that would facilitate their fundamental everyday basic needs.

Ten very long years have since passed and the only rejuvenating we bear witness to now is the same empty rhetoric from those who govern our rent and those who collaborate with them.

Once again we are now being told that we are next in line for a 'major transformation' a transformation that will somehow miraculously save us from the torment of these poor living conditions we live in now, conditions that have been bestowed upon us by those who's only interest is profit.

Once again we have been told that the quality of our living standards in the community will be amended and improved for everyone and we are led to believe that, the communities welfare is at the heart of Dublin City Council along with the property developer Sean Reilly and his architects.

If this is the case, and the communities welfare is at the heart of those who promise us change and better social living conditions, then why is it that, over 80 units in our complex remain vacant while the the remaining residents continue to live in overcrowded, damp riddled homes, unfit for standard human living conditions.

Then why is it that, over 80 families felt it necessary to leave their homes in the first place, many of whom were 2nd and 3rd generation residents.

And why is it that, when over ten years ago Saint Ulthan's (Congo's) was bought from a private property developer, after a lengthy battle with its residents, for hundreds of millions of Euros by Dublin City Council, a social change was promised to us back then, a change we are still waiting to see.

Is it fair to say, will we be waiting another ten years or more to see any social change that benefits our community or to see the social conscience of Dublin City Council change to benefit us at all ?

Is it fair to say that we will witness the demise of our community by the hands of the socially inapt who try to tell us that right is wrong and how we should live our lives ?

How many more families will we bear witness to who will have to forcibly leave their homes because of the poor living conditions manufactured by those who promise us 'change' ?

It is quite apparent that the only social change we will witness in the future is one of more hardship and misery suffered by the residents of this community, that is, unless something is done, to stop the money driven corporation and property developers from destroying our community any further.

We need to act fast as a community and the time to act is now!

We need to reorganise and resurrect the community spirit that has bound us together for so long and has done so since the first residents of Charlemont Street, Tom Kelly Flats came into existence.

It's time to bring about a social change for the residents, by the residents and for the next generation who will follow behind us. The Council and developers will not and cannot destroy our community if we let our voices be heard and together, stand strong against these unwanted deprived social conditions that we now face today.

Let us not be bullied or intimidated by the landlord who charges us rent for living in overcrowded homes, homes riddled with dampness, homes unfit for parents with young children and all the while, a couple of doors down, empty homes lay vacant that can quite easily be refurbished to suit our own proper living standards.

It is vital for the salvation of our community that we organise together and bring about our own social change, to better our own lives, in an environment that we create for us and us alone, a community for the residents!

It's not to late to make a change, It's time to stand up and be heard!

We need to stand up against any bullyboy tactics used by Dublin City Council and the developers that jeopardises our fundamental rights as residents of Charlemont Street, Tom Kelly Flats. We need to lobby and put pressure on our TDs and contact other likeminded social groups, we need to get our story out to the media and to the wider community and let our plight be known!