Residents facing eviction from a retirement village in Enniscrone, Co Sligo say they are stressed, sickened and upset as they can’t find alternative accommodation.<\/p>\n
Nine residents in six properties in the Sonas Retirement Village in the west Sligo seaside village were given notice in November to leave their rental properties by 5 June.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth and Frank Stewart moved into a rental property in the retirement village seven years ago. Elizabeth told RT\u00c9 News they learned of the property while visiting her brother in the nearby nursing home.<\/p>\n
“We saw the sign up to rent or buy; so, we decided to rent at our age, instead of buying the house and that’s what we did.”<\/p>\n
Elizabeth\u2019s husband Frank has dementia. He fell and broke his hip last year, spending five months in hospital, before returning home in late October.<\/p>\n
“When we got the eviction notice – everything had been put in place for Frank because he can’t walk and he had to have a hospital bed.<\/p>\n
“I’d been looking after him for three years on my own, but now he has people coming in three times a day to help.<\/p>\n
“There\u2019s nowhere else we can go. That was our Christmas present – an eviction order.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019ve asked the person whose name is on the eviction what happens in May and he doesn\u2019t know,” she said.<\/p>\n
David Stewart, who moved to the development to help care for his parents, Elizabeth and Frank, described the situation as “stressful, sickening and very upsetting”.<\/p>\n
“My partner had a relapse. She has Multiple Sclerosis. She was in hospital for a week because of all the stress from trying to find somewhere for my parents and us.”<\/p>\n
‘No alternative accommodation’<\/p>\n
A 57-bed nursing home and 27 independent living units in the retirement village are under separate ownership.<\/p>\n
Last year, Sonas Nursing Home was acquired by Ethos Care. In a statement, the nursing home said the Independent Living Units (ILUs) were not part of that acquisition.<\/p>\n
They said Sonas Nursing Home Group has no affiliation to Nasso BK Holdings Ltd, who own the properties in question.<\/p>\n
RT\u00c9 News has attempted to seek a statement from Nasso BK Holdings but has not received a response at this time.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Sligo County Council said there has been no engagement between the property owner\/landlord and the council with regard to the issuing of the eviction notices.<\/p>\n
They added: “In response to calls for Sligo County Council to purchase the homes in question, the council is limited by national funding criteria and can only acquire properties under specific conditions.”<\/p>\n
They said: “Affected tenants are advised to contact the Residential Tenancies Board who are actively involved in advising tenants on their rights.”<\/p>\n