A Dublin mother with throat cancer and her family has been forced to flee their council house after one hellish week which included their home being robbed and their father being attacked with a fire extinguisher.
Sarah lived in the new home with her three kids - one of whom has autism - after being homeless for three years.
But in the space of just one short week after moving in, Sarah witnessed a man consuming drugs in front of her, and the father of her children being attacked with a fire extinguisher.
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In that time her door was also kicked in twice, and the family were robbed.
They are currently staying with Sarah’s mum after fleeing the house from hell - but the only option they have long term is to move into a hostel and face another uncertain homeless future.
Sarah told Dublin Live: “We have literally just come out of homelessness after three years.
“We were given a medical priority house.
"We lived there for one week and the locals were trying to run us out of the home.
“They smashed my child's father in the face with a fire extinguisher, and last night two men tried to kick the door in.
“I came back from a Christmas work party, I’m a carer and we finally got a little party on Thursday three months late. I don’t even drink, I came home before 12 o’clock and there were two men at my front door.
Sarah contacted Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council the next day after leaving the property.
But without immediate assistance forthcoming, she fears they will be forced to stay in a hostel - a prospect that worries her, because her children have never experienced a hostel before.
"It wasn’t safe," she continued.
"We got down to the council and had an emergency meeting.
“They were more concerned that the father of my children was in the house because we aren’t in a relationship. They were more concerned about why he was there minding the children.
“We got this house on a disability grant for my son who has autism, and they put us into the worst property they had.
"There's drugs in the area and there’s a lot of antisocial behaviour going on. My own mental health is suffering.
“Two people tried to kick our door in, there’s no reasoning behind it at all.
"There was a man sitting on my wall and he had cocaine, I told him not to be doing it around my house. My camera bell was stolen that night.
“I rang the council this morning, they said if I surrender the property that they’ll border it up and they’ll put us into a hostel.
"We’ve never been in a hostel. My kids would not be able for that.”
Sarah, who is currently battling throat cancer, doesn’t feel as if she is getting the help that she deserves.
She said: “The Council doesn't care.
"If we go back to the house it’ll happen again. Things happened three nights in a row and we were only there for a week.
“We’re in my mother’s house, but we can’t stay here, she’s elderly, she’s not able for us. We’re here for a night or two.
“They knew I was a desperate woman who would’ve taken anything - but what if a petrol bomb come through my window? Me and my kids would be dead on the ground.”
When contacted by Dublin Live, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council they do not comment on individual cases.
Dublin Live have also contacted An Garda Siochana for comment.
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