The Workers’ Party states its full and complete support for the courageous actions of the activists who have established housing units in the Apollo House block in Dublin to accommodate members of the homeless community.

Workers’ Party President, Mickey Donnelly, said: “This action, of taking a disused property and making it a place of refuge for those who would otherwise be forced to endure life on the streets, speaks of the best traditions of working class activism in Ireland.

“What is provided in Apollo House are humane and adequate units which provide privacy and place to call their own for people forced into homelessness. While what is provided by homeless hostels is in many cases the best that funding allows for by merely providing overnight accommodation, often without privacy, they do not meet person’s fundamental right to a home.

“The courageous volunteers who have established the Apollo House Mission are providing accommodation which vindicates a person’s right to a home and as such, whatever the Courts may request, there should be no one evicted from the building until accommodation of an equal or better standard is made available to residents.”

He added: “The Home Sweet Home campaign group stands in the best traditions of the Irish Left. In the 1960s Housing Action Campaigns in Dublin, Cork and Northern Ireland, which in many cases where initiated and led by our comrades in the movement which would later develop into the Workers’ Party, took on the forces of Irish conservatism and by direct actions, similar to the Apollo House occupation, put the issue of homelessness at the centre of political debate.

“Sadly, the forces of Irish conservatism defeated that campaign before it could fully achieve its aims. Unequal distribution and uneconomic use of property has been and continues to be the primary issue in Irish politics. It is an issue which lies at the very heart of power relations in Irish society and it is only through true revolutionary activity that it will ever be tackled in a manner which benefits the working class.”

“The Workers’ Party and its membership stand foursquare behind the courageous actions of those who have established Apollo House as a place which not only provides refuge but also empowerment to its residents. Our Party offers whatever support it can provide to their campaign.”