A Traveller-run support organisation, established almost 40 years ago in South Dublin, says it faces having to close after a new landlord sought to more than treble its rent and reduce its parking spaces.
The Southside Traveller Action Group (Stag) has been advised of an increase in annual rent from €25,830 including VAT to €84,970 for the three units it occupies at St Kieran’s Enterprise Centre in Sandyford Business Park.
The charity, which supports 140 Traveller families across the catchment area, opened in 1984 on lands secured by the pioneering nun and Traveller rights campaigner, the late Sr Colette Dwyer, from the then Dublin Corporation in 1982.
A 250-year lease was agreed between the corporation and St Kieran’s Enterprise Centre (EC), which was founded by Sr Colette. St Kieran’s founding memorandum of association states its primary objective is “the relief of poverty and advancement of education among Travellers” and the provision of “facilities whereby Travellers may be given employment opportunities”.
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The action group has rented its units from St Kieran’s EC, a registered charity, since its establishment. However, it was last year notified by St Kieran’s EC that it had, with effect from January 1st last, merged with Nutgrove Community Enterprise Park to form Bridge Enterprise Centres. The 250-year lease between St Kieran’s EC and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) County Council is incorporated into the new entity.
Stag was issued with notice of the rent increase at about this time, but continues paying its previous rent.
Geraldine Dunne, director of the action group, said it “just doesn’t have that kind of money” to meet the increase.
“Paying it would mean closing programmes, maybe even closing down altogether,” she said. “We understand rents change, but there has to be a human element to this. We do not make a profit and are dealing with the most vulnerable people in society.”
Stag said that of particular “hurt” had been the reduction in parking discs allocated to it from 12 to two, with one guest disc. This has resulted in staff – most on minimum wage – having to pay for parking. A DLR county council housing officer’s car was recently clamped, resulting in housing clinics at the centre being cancelled, and a Traveller children’s day out was postponed when their minibus was clamped outside. The release fee for clamped vehicles is €125.
“This place is more than just bricks and mortar to our community,” said Ms Dunne. “This is home, a sanctuary. It feels like Bridge are just trying to hurt us, just trying to bulldoze us.”
Among those who grew up attending programmes at the centre is Pearl Connors (26). A wheelchair user, she has just taken up a post to examine accessibility for disabled Travellers in South County Dublin.
“I have been coming here my whole life,” she said. “When I was going through an awful lot – being down and depressed – the staff have been very helpful here to me. I don’t want this place, this building to go. Coming here, it gives me some independence. I feel comfort here.”
A spokeswoman for the council said she could “not comment on the negotiations of the lease” between Stag and Bridge Enterprise Centres, but that the local authority had a “long-standing and strong working relationship with [Stag]” in “provision of services to the Travelling community ...”.
A spokesman for Bridge Enterprise Centres said the rent sought was based on a “professional market rent review carried out last year”. He said efforts to negotiate a new lease with the group had been ongoing since April of last year and no meaningful response had been received despite an “extremely arduous process of attempted engagement”. Stag said it remained “in negotiations” with the landlord.
On parking, the spokesman said St Kieran’s EC tenants were notified of new arrangements last December and all tenants other than Stag had agreed to these. Stag said it had received legal advice not to take up the two free spaces unless this was “without prejudice” to having its 12 reinstated.
“We in Bridge Enterprise Centres are a charity ourselves and are supportive of Stag,” the spokesman added. “We want them to remain as tenants and we have done our utmost to help them to formalise their tenancy and will continue to do so.”
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