CATU News - Week 17 - Buses In, Landlords Out

A chairde,

Tomorrow at 3pm, outside the Department of Transport on Leeson Lane in Dublin 2, CATU Dublin Bay North will be supporting a protest called by local residents with support from People Before Profit to protect our bus stops. The National Transport Authority plan to remove 2 stops absolutely vital to the local community and the branch has personally asked to support this protest by CATU Ireland’s oldest member who sees the move by the NTA as an example of the their complete disregard for accessibility and the bus stops we all depend on, especially disabled and elderly members of our community. We are demanding that the NTA abandons its plan to remove stops from the local community and ensure that all stops are accessible for people of all abilities and, very importantly, that these stops are safe from traffic.

Calling Number Crunchers! Are you an accountant, bookkeeper, or just good with financial reporting? We’re looking for someone to take on the management of our financial accounts, including the production of monthly profit & loss and annual financial accounts and VAT returns.

While this is not a salaried position, we can offer a small monthly fee to compensate you for your time.

If this is of interest, or you know someone who might be suitable, please drop me a line at [email protected] 

The CATU documentary The Rent Strike has been selected for a screening at the Achill International Film Festival, May 9th - 11th.

In light of this, CATU branches across Connacht are working together to create an event on Friday, May 10th, including a panel discussion on the documentary as well as on housing issues in the area, a CATU stall and a social event open to all members.

In order to cater to everyone, we would like to stake out the interest in attendance amongst our members, so if you are considering joining at this year’s Achill Island Film Festival and discussion panel, please fill in the form below.

CATU Ballymun-Finglas held another great doorknock and coffee morning on Monday to build support for a new member facing eviction.

As heartening as it is to come together in the neighbourhood, we’ve also got a lot of rage at how many people are under threat of losing their homes every day. Three others have contacted the branch for support in this past week alone.

We want the council to fix our homes but also to guarantee no one will became homeless due to evictions.

CATU Belfast have a busy few weeks ahead.

This Sunday, April 28th, the branch will be reviving the CATU Walking Club and will be walking Cavehill. The meeting point is Belfast Castle at 2pm. All are very welcome.

Next Friday, May 3rd, members will return to the Housing Executive Offices on Adelaide Street to continue their Mould and Damp campaign with members facing unlivable conditions in NIHE homes. If you are experiencing similar, get in touch and together we can tackle these problems.

That same Friday evening sees the launch of a new "Safe Secure Homes" campaign. We'll be setting out our case against No-Fault Evictions and a vision for a Belfast with Homes for All.

Looking to the future and on Friday, May 17th the branch will be heading to Raidió Fáilte for a screening of the Rent Strike Documentary covering the tenant struggles of the seventies right across Ireland. There'll be a panel discussion afterwards. Bring your friends!

CATU Cork were out and about a few times over the past week - they had a successful doorknocking session in Midleton and participated in the Day of Action against AXA on Tuesday alongside the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Doorknocking has also taken place in Cork City and of course in Mayfield, following on from the public meeting there at the end of last month.

There’s lots going on locally - if you’d like to be involved contact [email protected] 

CATU Mountjoy-Dorset hosted a meeting in the Dublin Adult Learning Centre on Saturday, April 13th. The meeting was a success with a good attendance from local residents - several joined the union and two members even joined the local committee.

Following on from that, the branch will be continuing their doorknocking sessions this Thursday at 7pm after a committee meeting. If members are interested in heading along, they can drop a message into the D1 WhatsApp group, or by emailing [email protected]

A first successful coffee morning in Kilkenny took place last weekend and the start of a Kilkenny-Carlow branch has now been set in motion. Members will hold a stall on May 6th in Kilkenny, so come and say hi if you’re nearby or reach out at [email protected]

In Solidarity,

Naoise Faogáin
National Administrator
Community Action Tenants Union - CATU Ireland
www.catuireland.org