Resident, Aimee O'Riordan, said: “We got no help from the Government. We were on our own, essentially. It took us to come together to explore all alternative options and to just basically be a stone in people's shoes to get this deal over the line."

The core group of residents of the Leeside apartments in Cork city, who spearheaded a two-year campaign against their eviction, also said they felt abandoned by the government at the height of their campaign.