Man set to lose home to hold vigil outside PTSB branches across the Midlands

A WELL-KNOWN environmental campaigner - who is set to lose his home in Rhode - is to hold a peaceful vigil outside PTSB bank in O'Connor Square, Tullamore on Monday next from 11am to 12.30pm to highlight his situation.

Tullamore native, Tom Roche, will hold similar demonstrations in towns across Offaly, Westmeath, Laois and Tipperary on successive Mondays outside PTSB branches.

Mr Roche was told in June by PTSB's solicitors that the bank is commencing proceedings for repossession of his home.

In an open letter to Seán Guerin SC, Chair of the Council of the Bar of Ireland, published in this week's Tullamore Tribune, Mr Roche writes: "I am about to lose my home if Permanent TSB (PTSB)  have their way. For the past fifteen years I have exhausted every legal avenue open to me but to no avail – including Personal Insolvency Appeal (PIA) in 2018 and Mortgage to Rent (MTR) in 2023. Now I am pleading with you Mr Guerin and members of The Bar of Ireland to help me save my home.”

The letter continues: “What is taking place is the anatomical unfolding of a home repossession scandal by PTSB –one of the main perpetrators of the banking scandal and supported by the Irish Government. PTSBs role in the financial crisis was described by Judge Martin Nolan as'deceitful, dishonest and corrupt.'

Mr Roche reveals that in June  PTSB, through their solicitors Beauchamp PLL,  informed him they are commencing proceedings for repossession of his home.

In July they informed him they are selling his mortgage  to a consortium made up of credit servicing firm Mars Capital. 

Writes Mr Roche: “Because there is so much emphasis nowadays on economic performance as a measure of ‘success’, I felt like a failure when I fell into mortgage arrears. And since 2017, there has been an obvious deterioration in my mental, emotional and physical health as the stress of trying to cope with the thoughts of my home repossession becomes a reality.

“Also of significance is the fact that the personal consequences of my inability to pay leaves me in a deeply vulnerable and frightening position that undermines my human dignity.  I am being forced to pay for the criminal acts of Ireland’s bankers with my home. This is slowly stripping me of my human dignity through embarrassment, humiliation, desperation, anxiety, depression, despair, anger and seriously reduced social engagement with ever-increasing thoughts of suicide.”

“As a craftsman, educator and human/environmental rights activist, justice is at the core of all that I do.  On Monday 19 August, I will mark my 75th birthday and I will be holding a peaceful vigil outside the PTSB Branch in O’Connor Square, Tullamore from 11.00am to 12.30 pm. 

“I have given 35 of those 75 years to the service of the Irish taxpayer through my development education (DE) work with Just Forests – an NGO I founded in 1989. While I feel I have so much more to offer in that regard, the sheer weight of trying to keep my home is unbearable.”

Mr Roche will hold similar vigils from 11am to 12.30om on successive Mondays in Mullingar (August 26), Athlone (September 2), Portlaoise (September 16), Roscrea (September 23) and Nenagh (September 30).