A family of four is facing a grueling daily commute from Dublin, as they cannot find a home in Carlow.
Tony and Ileana Rice and their sons Rían (4) and 16-month-old Ronan are travelling to Graiguecullen from Stillorgan Monday to Friday so Rían can attend school at St Fiacc’s National School.
Tony also works locally as a manager in the hospitality sector, so he also commutes at the weekend.
The family has been forced to move three times in the past two years because of landlords selling their properties, leading to their current situation, of living with Tony's family in Stillorgan.
The family travels to Carlow each morning by train, leaving at 7.30 am to get Rían to school on time, and often are not home again until 10.30 pm that night.
“We can’t continue this for much longer. We need to find somewhere to live soon. Even our son is asking when we’re going to have our own home and not live with granny,” Tony told the Carlow Nationalist.
“We’ve had to move three times in two years because the landlords are either leaving the market or putting up the rent. There are houses out there that cost €1,400 to €1,600, but that’s not affordable for us. We need somewhere that’s around €1,100, but there’s such a demand for them that by the time you hear about one, hundreds of people may have seen it advertised before you.”
He explained a move to Dublin is not feasible due to Tony's work, while his mother is medically vulnerable so their current living situation is causing a strain on the family.
“We love Carlow and Graiguecullen. At this stage, we feel like we’re part of the community here. This is where we want to raise our family,” Ileana said.
“This is not a rant or a venting of anger. We just want to raise the issue of how difficult it is to find accommodation, but we can’t continue this much longer,” Tony said.
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