A mum-of-two facing eviction has told of her fears for her special needs son if they are made homeless.
Leanne Farrell, 30, has had a notice to quit her home of five years in Ballyfermot, Dublin hanging over her since last September. Now with the Government’s controversial decision this week to lift the eviction ban, she has been told she must vacate the house by April 1.
Leanne’s younger son Riley turns five on the day they have to leave and she said she’s “terrified” of what might lie ahead. She told the Sunday Mirror: “Carson is 10 and Riley is four, he turns five on the date we have to quit.
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“I haven’t slept with the worry, I’m having panic attacks. Riley has autism level 3 and he has an intellectual disability.
“His whole life revolves around routine. This house is Riley’s safe place.
“He attends an ASD unit in Inchicore and if we have to get buses it’s going to be a nightmare. My biggest fear is not knowing what lies ahead... what I’m walking into and what my kids are facing.
“They should feel safe with me, I feel like I’ve let them down.” Leanne has been accepted for Homeless HAP but with just two weeks to find somewhere to live she has yet to receive a single reply to her rental emails.
The homeless hub in Ballyfermot has a waiting list and Dublin City Council will not meet with her until March 29 – two days before she has to move out. She said: “We will probably end up in a hostel in town and that will be horrific for Riley.
“I don’t drive and the thoughts of bringing him on public transport... I can’t even go to the shop without someone coming with me to help. It’s going to be a real struggle for me because all my supports are in Ballyfermot, my mam lives down the road, this is where we need to be.”
Leanne added: “Carson knows there’s something wrong. He asked ‘mam are we going into a hostel, are we going to be living out on the street in a tent?’
“I told him it would be like a hotel for a couple of weeks, I didn’t go into the whole thing because he’s a real worrier.”
Thousands of people are set to be evicted from their homes at the end of this month with landlords preparing to sell up as the eviction ban lapses. Leanne, who has been on the housing list for ten years, blasted the Government for its decision to “sell families down the river”.
She said: “It’s a disgrace, it’s a constant fight. I had to fight for Riley to be assessed, I’m still fighting for therapies he hasn’t had yet.
“Now I’m fighting for a roof over our head. These are basic rights, we shouldn’t have to be fighting for them.”
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