Elderly man who faces having home repossessed to begin hunger strike outside courthouse

A well-known environmental campaigner – Tom Roche, from Offaly, who in recent times has campaigned to help distressed mortgage holders - will commence a 24-hour hunger strike and vigil on this Sunday, June 15, at 11am outside the Courthouse in Tullamore.

The event will coincide with court proceedings for possession of Mr Roche’s home. Solicitors representing Mars Capital Finance Ireland DAC, will initiate proceedings on Monday, June 16 at 11am at the same courthouse.

Asked by the Tullamore Tribune / Offaly Live about why he has decided to go on hunger strike to highlight his plight, Mr Roche, of Tullamore and Rhode, said: "In pre-Christian Ireland, fasting was used as a means of protesting injustice. In more recent times it has been used to raise issues of various concerns to individuals and groups - the death of 10 men in the 1981 [on hunger strike was to prove a defining moment in the struggle between the Provisional IRA and the British government or, to be more precise, the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher."

"Hunger strikes have played a major role in ending slavery, challenging dictatorships, protecting workers from exploitation, protecting the Earth’s biological diversity, promoting equality for women, opposing racism and many other important societal issues. In ancient Ireland, going on hunger strike was a form of 'distress' called 'troscud' (or 'fasting'). This practice was socially significant and had legal support as an act of due process and fairness."

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Mr Roche described the impact home repossessions are having on families as utterly devastating. "One of Ireland’s most senior high court officials, Edmond Honohan said, some banks who were 'cheerleaders' of the Celtic Tiger were 'reverting to type' and pursuing people to the 'bitter end' even when they 'had no money'. He went on to say the 'new debt set' have 'legal rights' but some are made 'feel like outlaws' In the same article Mr Honohan said he had met ['several widows of people who had been driven to suicide because of the distress of debt."

Added Mr Roche: "The mental and physical impacts of the distress and trauma mortgage arrears has caused me personally has been enormous. Over the past 15 years I have exhausted every legal avenue open to me to come to an equitable resolution to my mortgage distress situation. What is taking place is the anatomical unfolding of a home repossession scandal initiated in the first instance by Permanent TSB (PTSB)."