Rhode man brings his home repossession protest to Mullingar

A man who is engaged in an ongoing protest over his home being repossessed brought his campaign to Mullingar on Monday.

Tom Roche from Rhode, who recently turned 75, was informed in a letter from his bank, the PTSB, in July that they were to commence proceedings for repossession as his mortgage was in arrears.

In an open letter to the Council of the Bar of Ireland, he said the letter has left him in a “vulnerable and frightening” position, while stripping him of his “human dignity”.

Mr Roche says he has a particular gripe in relation to the financial crash of 2008, which he was “severely affected financially” by.

He said he is “highlighting the unacceptable eviction of elderly people from their homes”.

“People who have been taxpayers their whole lives are being pushed out of their homes – this is totally unacceptable.”

“I lost my full salary as a result of the banking scandal as funding for NGOs was cut and diverted to prop up the banks. I am now about to lose my home.”

Mr Roche held a protest outside PTSB on Oliver Plunkett Street in Mullingar yesterday, Monday, August 26, where he said public support for his cause was strong.

“I had support from passers-by wishing me well and saying that, you know, ‘We realise that you’re actually doing this on behalf of a lot of elderly people who are so embarrassed to come public and because they’re in the same boat as yourself’,” he said.

“I really do appreciate their goodwill comments.”

His first protest was held in Tullamore on August 19, on his 75th birthday, and he plans to hold further protests in Athlone, Longford and Nenagh in coming weeks.

He said he is hoping to show people they should not be afraid to come forward. He said there are thousands in a similar position, and he want them to have their voices heard.

PTSB response

While not commenting on the specifics of the case due to the “customer’s data privacy rights”, PTSB explained in a statement how their policy works.

“Regarding our recently announced non-performing loan sale, all customers whose loans are included in the transaction will continue to have the same regulatory protections under the Consumer Protection Code (CPC) and the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) after the transfer completes.”