Ballymun family slam council's ‘horrific’ treatment after death of beloved Nan
A grieving family stood strong outside City Hall last night to protest the way they have been treated by Dublin City Council .
With placards in hand, the family of the late Adrienne Kerins say they have been traumatised by the lack of engagement from the council as her Ballymun council owned home was boarded up, leaving her granddaughter homeless. Adrienne’s daughter Rachel spoke to Dublin Live and said they were protesting to ensure no more families have to go through the hardships they’ve endured.
The family has lived in Ballymun all their lives, and Rachel claims that after Adrienne died suddenly and unexpectedly last July they were told by the council that her granddaughter could be put on the rent and that they would receive a letter. However, in October, when nobody was home and without prior notice, the house was boarded up by the council.
“We've had no contact with them. We were allowed to get in and clear my mum's house out, which we weren't ready for. It was our personal stuff, really personal stuff. And we just weren't really ready for that,” Rachel said.
“We've signed nothing, we haven't received a piece of paper. They've had no contact with us whatsoever. It was a family home with a lifetime full of possessions.
“It's like if the gas man comes to read your meter, and you're not there, they'll leave a note. They didn't even leave a sticker on the metal door that they put up.”
Rachel says they tried to get information from the council about why this happened without proper communication but got nowhere. "We were so upset, my daughter's homeless now. She’s going from my couch, to my aunt's to her friend's couch," she said.
The Kerins family state the way this process has been handled has been incredibly anxiety-inducing for them and their grief has been delayed as a result. “Nanny was there one day and she's gone the next. It's just wrong and nobody will answer and somebody needs to be accountable for this because this cannot keep happening to other people,” Rachel said.
Rachel is calling for more transparency around how Dublin City Council handles council homes if the person named on the tenancy agreement dies. She said she "will not be silenced” and is going to the ombudsman for the case to be investigated.
Citizen's Advice states it is sometimes possible for someone to stay in their council or housing association home after the named tenant dies. This process is called succeeding and depends on several factors.
These include if the succeeding tenant already lived in the home before they died, they are related to the tenant or were a couple. Other factors include how they lived with the tenant and the type of tenancy right they had.
When contacted for comment a spokesperson from Dublin City Council stated: "Dublin City Council does not comment on individual cases, and endeavours to support family members facing these difficult issues."
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