Sarah Keogh with her children Ryan and Paddy speaking to Wexford Echo reporter Anna Hayes in the camper van. Pic: Jim Campbell

EMERGENCY HOUSING has been found for a mother-of-four who was forced to sleep in her car with her children just over two weeks ago but she is maintaining her appeal for accommodation around Curracloe.

Sarah Keogh, whose story was highlighted in this newspaper last week, was given the keys to one of the council’s emergency houses in Gorey but she is still hoping to find private rented accommodation closer to Wexford town as her children are in school in Curracloe.

Local councillor Deirdre Wadding, who was instrumental in highlighting Sarah’s plight, said that there was, as of yet, no long-term solution, adding that she had hoped that a RÁS house she knew of might be available but it was not.

Currently, Sarah is driving up and down from Gorey to ensure that her kids get to school and playschool but she is continuing her search for a home closer to these amenities.

Cllr. Wadding pointed out: “Sarah is still in the same position but at least now she is not in danger of being out on the street. But this is an emergency house and we don’t know what the cut-off point is. She still needs to find private accommodation. She has rent allowance and her deposit.”

The People Before Profit councillor added that she had spoken to a number of women who had struggled to find private housing when they had three or more children and she said that she experienced the same thing herself 12 years ago.

Despite the announcement of €25million for housing, Cllr. Wadding said she would “not be clapping” until she saw some houses being built, remarking that the current housing crisis was of the government, and previous governments’ own making.

“For 30 years almost no social housing was built and that was when it should have been built when times were good.”

She added that local staff in the Housing Department were “under staffed, under funded and under resourced” and were trying to deal with a crisis.