Irish Single Parents Fight Back - Press Statement

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Friday December 07, 2018 12:52 by spark - Single Parents Acting for the Rights of our Kids (SPARK)

Press Release - SPARK - Dec 7th 2018

Single Parents Acting for the Rights of our Kids (SPARK) statement on recent racism by Far Right demo outside the Dail

Irish Single Parents Fight Back - Statement
Single Parents Acting for the Rights of our Kids

Dec 7th 2018

SPARK statement on recent racism. It is with great sadness that our members hear of a racist demo outside the Dail last night. SPARK has always said that we are a group of diverse parents from all different backgrounds, and will continue to be. As single parents we are the group most affected by the housing crisis, with over 65% of homeless families being lone parent families. SPARK is actively engaged with many housing campaign groups including the National Homeless and Housing Coalition. Those active in challenging the housing crisis and doing something about it are not coming from these Far Right groups or online key board warriors. They have a different agenda that is not about solving our housing crisis they are using the housing crisis to stir up racism. For our families who are affected by this crisis and are living the horrors of homeless we know racism will not get our families homed. This “look after our own” and blaming of migrants for the housing crisis is not only incorrect it stops people challenging the real cause of our crisis. It is years of no social housing being built relying on the private market, hoarding of lands by big developers, the limited homes available being bought up by big vulture funds who then charge scandalous rents and the disgraceful evictions by some landlords that has resulted in a crisis.

These are all policies of successive Governments and the current Government. Only by actively challenging these real causes can we find the solutions to resolve our housing crisis. These conquer and divide tactics by the racists is not new. As single parents we suffered this during the austerity years and still do. It is easy to sit on a key board and make up false stories; it is with great shame to see them out protesting in Ireland. SPARK will continue to be a campaign group that represents parents from all different backgrounds. We stand with the groups who are genuinely trying to tackle the housing crisis, not the racists scapegoating migrants for their own agenda. We are the homeless, we are the families most affected by this housing crisis. These racists don’t care for us, and are not a voice for us. We hope for a country where no one is homeless regardless of religion, colour, sexuality or ethnicity.