Watch: Cork musician 'adds to chorus of voices seeking change' with Dáil housing protest

Martin Leahy singing his protest song about the housing crisis outside the Dáil. Picture: Moya Nolan

A Cork musician struggling to find somewhere to live as the housing crisis deepens has taken his protest song ‘Everyone Should Have a Home’ to the Dáil for 16 consecutive weeks.

Singer-songwriter Martin Leahy travels from Bandon in West Cork to the Dáil every Thursday to protest.

Priced out of the private rental market for the first time in 27 years of renting, he felt pushed to leave Ireland for France where he could find more affordable accommodation. But as his eviction was postponed, he has not had to leave yet.

Mr Leahy, 46, is a well-known session musician who has worked with some of Ireland’s biggest songwriters, including Christy Moore and John Spillane.

His own songs receive widespread radio play and made the RTÉ Radio One Recommends List.

But despite being a skilled and successful musician, for the first time in 27 years of renting, prices have risen so sharply that he has been priced out of the overheated market.

“I received an eviction notice because my landlord was selling. I started looking for other places and realised I couldn’t afford anything. I’ve always rented and this is the first time since I was 19-years-old that I couldn’t afford anything," he said.

I wrote the song and I decided to protest every week out of a sense of desperation and to use my voice to make some noise about it

Despite being a skilled and successful musician, for the first time in 27 years of renting, prices have risen so sharply that Martin Leahy has been priced out of the overheated market. Picture:Moya Nolan

“It was a combination of lack of availability and outrageous prices for what was available.

“I’ve been living in Bandon for six years. I was living in Cork city for most of my life but moved out here because rents were rising there and it was cheaper here.

“Rents have more than doubled since the last time I looked.

“You’re looking at over €1,000 per month for a small, old place, often with damp and lots of problems. The standard of housing is so bad and the prices are outrageous. And that’s if you can get a viewing at all.

“I was backed into a corner, priced out of the market, nowhere to go.

“I’m totally at a loss as to what to do. And the whole situation seems to be getting more out of control as the months go by.

“The housing shortage is affecting people at every level — from people who are homeless to people renting to people trying to buy.

“There are so many obvious solutions but it seems the government is not inclined to implement them.” 

Troy controversy

He was not surprised by the recent controversy over former Fianna Fáil junior minister Robert Troy and his failure to declare property assets or with the high number of policy makers who are landlords or landowners — almost 48 TDs and 29 Senators.

“Around 80 TDs or Senators are landlords or landowners, and we’re relying on them to vote for things like rent caps — things they voted down in the past. They’re the people we’re banking on to save us from it but we’re getting deeper and deeper into it.” 

Mr Leahy said a ban on evictions is now needed to stem the flow of people into homelessness.

Martin Leahy: 'I really believe in the power of protest.' Picture: Moya Nolan

“Focus Ireland has been calling for a ban on evictions for years. It’s not even drastic, they could do it during covid, which was considered a national emergency, and so is this. It is an emergency.

“We’re one of the least populated and one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. But there are 166,000 vacant properties, and over 10,000 people homeless — over 3,000 children who are homeless.

“I really believe in the power of protest. I feel like I’m adding to the chorus of voices asking for things — for a ban on evictions and an end to the sell off to vulture funds, for public housing to be built on public land and for a referendum on a constitutional right for housing.”