Raise the Roof Rally

Peter McVerry, Sheila Nunan and Orla O’Connor among the Key Speakers for Launch of Raise the Roof Rally for Housing.

Irish Congress of Trade Unions President Sheila Nunan, Fr. Peter McVerry of the Peter McVerry Trust, Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council, Michelle Byrne of USI and Aisling Bruen of the National Homeless & Housing Coalition are to launch the Raise the Roof Rally for Housing, on Thursday, September 6th @ 11:30am, in Buswells Hotel, Dublin.

The Raise the Roof initiative sees trade unions, political parties, students’ unions, housing agencies & community and campaign groups join forces to demand radical new action on the housing crisis, including support for a rally outside Leinster House on Wednesday October 3 in advance of the budget.

Speakers at Thursday’s launch will be: Sheila Nunan (Congress President); Orla O’Connor (Director of National Women’s Council); Peter McVerry (Peter McVerry Trust); Michelle Byrne (Vice President Campaigns, USI) and Aisling Bruen (Dublin Central Housing Action Group and National Homeless & Housing Coalition).

Participating groups will call for support for the Oct 3 lunchtime rally outside Leinster House, which has been organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The rally has been called in support of an opposition party motion on housing that is scheduled to be debated in the Dáil that day.

The motion calls for radical new action on the housing crisis and is supported by Sinn Fein, People Before Profit, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats and the Green Party, with others expected to add their support.