New Post

A chairde,

CATU Galway and the national campaign group Tinteán are holding a public meeting on TONIGHT at 7PM in Áras na nGael on the issue of housing and short-term lets (STLs) in Galway city and the Gaeltacht.

The meeting will feature speakers from Gaeltacht housing campaign group Tinteán, the University of Galway Students Union, Threshold, the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Galway, and TU Dublin lecturer and housing policy analyst Dr Lorcan Sirr.

STLs are properties which are rented out on a short-term basis through sites like Airbnb and booking.com. Within Galway, there has been a marked increase in the number of STLs in recent years, which take homes off the long-term rental market. While there are close to 2,000 entire homes listed on Airbnb across the county (according to Airbnb data analyser InsideAirbnb), there are currently less than 80 homes to rent in Galway - city and county - on daft.ie. There has been increasing focus on the issue of STLs in recent months, as the housing crisis continues.

The meeting will feature contributions from each speaker and space for discussion.

Are you new to CATU? Unsure where to start or how a tenant and community union works? Or had you joined a while ago but you're looking to get back involved ahead of our Rent Pressure Zone or Dublin City Council campaigns?

Then this is the event for you!

A Dublin City New Members Meeting is happening on Saturday, April 12th, 12:00-13:00, in the Communications Workers’ Union, 575 North Circular Road, D01 TR53.

Here you can ask about how CATU works, learn about your rights as a tenant and how you can empower yourself and your community.

RSVP [email protected]

Directly after this session, from 13:30 to 14:30, the first meeting of the newly established Dublin Citywide branch will take place. Further to the vote at last year’s Ard Fheis to establish a citywide branch, this session will get the ball rolling on organising together and finalising plans for a first action. Come along to meet your other Dublin City branch members and be involved in planning!

For all the updates, join the WhatsApp community on the below link (please only join if you’re based in the Dublin City Council boundary area) https://chat.whatsapp.com/JeNo4bGn6Gd8U7yBk50ljA

CATU stands in full solidarity with Mothers Against Genocide and all others whose rights have been violated by Gardaí during their recent crackdown on pro-Palestine protestors.

With 92% of homes in Gaza destroyed and an array of property developers and vulture funds seeking to extract profit from genocide & ethnic cleansing, the interconnectedness of the struggle for housing justice and for a free Palestine is clear.

Join us at the Mothers Against Genocide Emergency Demo tonight (Wednesday) from 7pm at Dáil Éireann (Merrion Sq. Entrance).

You can also read our full statement on this issue HERE.

Join CATU Cork on Friday, May 2nd at 19:00 in Mayfield Community School for a special screening of The Rent Strike!

The screening will explore the courageous actions of tenants in Cork’s Mayfield and Togher estates, where residents continued their strike long after the national action ended in 1973.

These tenants fought relentlessly for improved living conditions, battling against defective homes, health hazards, and oppressive rent policies imposed by Cork Corporation and the National Building Agency (NBA). From hunger strikes to mass demonstrations, “The Rent Strike” showcases how ordinary people organised, resisted, and ultimately changed the course of housing policy in Ireland.

📅 When: Friday, May 2nd, 7 PM
📍 Where: Mayfield Community School
🎟️ Admission: Free

In solidarity,

Naoise Faogáin

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