A protest was held today to ask Dublin City Council not to evict the tenants of Tathony House in Kilmainham.

Last year, over 100 residents of the 35-apartment block were sent eviction notices as their homes are to be sold.

Opponents of the decision gathered outside Dublin City Council offices to call on authorities to provide shelter and certainty in the middle of the worst housing crisis in living memory.

One resident of the building facing eviction, James O'Toole, told Newstalk that they have two demands.

Firstly, an extension of the eviction ban to "give time for the housing homelessness figures to be brought down".

The latest figures from the government revealed that there were 11,632 people living in emergency accommodation - a record high.

Picture by: Claire McNamara/Newstalk

Council intervention

"Our other demand is on Dublin City Council to basically say that we still don't know what's going to happen to us", Mr O'Toole said.

"Some of us are going to face homelessness on June 2nd, when we're evicted from Tathony House, and Dublin City Council could step in with help from an approved housing body, purchase our block and keep people in their homes."

The group had "quite a positive meeting" with the council previously, but Mr O'Toole says no firm commitment was made.

He believes that the council and/or the government could "save" them from homelessness but is choosing not to.

Picture by: Claire McNamara/Newstalk

"Absolutely disgusting"

Speaking at today's protest, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett said that people are being driven into homeless accommodation.

"That is something that will starve children, starve families", he said.

"In a civilised society in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is beyond belief that this still goes on."

"It also happens at the same time when there's vast amounts of empty property sitting around the place int he hands of people who are speculating on property and land value."

Landlords are "profiting off the misery" of people, he said, and gambling in a "casino of profit".