Priory Hall campaigner Stephanie Meehan (right), whose partner took his own life in July, appeared as a phone-in guest on The Marian Finucane show on RTE R1 yesterday.
The panel in the studio included Kathleen Lynch TD (left), Minister of State for Disability, Equality and Mental Health.
Kathleen Lynch: “I just think that, Stephanie – Kathleen Lynch here, and again like everyone else, I mean, what do you say in circumstances like this, let’s be honest about it, very little that holds any comfort for people. But I would have to tell you that my own experience is that this issue of Priory Hall has literally been a weekly event on agendas and I think that..”
Marian Finucane: “What kind of agendas, whose agendas?”
Lynch: “Well, The Taoiseach, once a month, has a meeting with every single department and it has been on that agenda, virtually every month and I think his commitment this week to say we are going to resolve this issue..”
Stephanie Meehan: “Kathleen, it took two years for An Taoiseach to say that, and sorry, but you know, I think that’s two years too late for myself and the residents, we’ve lost a life here, as I’ve already said there’s been countless, there’s been millions of tax-payers money absolutely squandered, the amount of money, three million plus, that’s been estimated, could have gone toward re-housing people – permanently, and I’m very sorry, but I’m sick to death of your excuses and your government’s excuses.”
Lynch: “I’m not making any excuses, I mean, I think people genuinely do know that at the end of the day, you know, people out of their homes, through no fault of their own and still having to continue to pay a mortgage that is of no benefit..”
Meehan: “In all due respect, Ms Lynch, I think that two years is too long and to say that Mr. Kenny has it on the agenda monthly, you know what, he should have the decency and the humanity to meet with the residents of Priory Hall and that is it. It is – all, everything aside, it has gone on too long. We need to move on with our lives that’s just it.
Lynch: “And I think that will happen very shortly Stephanie..”
Meehan: “It should have happened two years ago, it should have happened two years ago.”
Listen here
