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A Dublin hotel has denied claims that up to 20 homeless families who've been staying there have allegedly been told they need to leave their rooms by next Tuesday.

Mayor of South Dublin Mark Ward had said he was outraged at news that the Maldron Hotel in Newlands Cross had asked all residents that are homeless and staying there to vacate by next Tuesday.

The Sinn Fein councillor said up to 20 families would be put out on the streets next week.

However, the Maldron Hotel have heavily denied that this is the case, saying: "The hotel has not asked or told anyone to leave. This allocation of rooms was only booked to stay up to Tuesday next, May 7th.

"We are more than happy to work with the Council in facilitating the needs of the affected people until such time as alternate accommodation can be found and this was explained to South Dublin Mayor Mark Ward yesterday evening."

Mayor Ward had said of the situation: “I am sickened at the news that the Maldron Hotel in Newlands Cross has asked all the homeless families residing there to vacate their rooms by next Tuesday.

“I contacted the hotel personally and all they would say is that this is an accommodation issue. This is not just an accommodation issue. This is a human and moral issue.

"The families have said that the reason that they were given was that it's tourist season and that the hotel needs the rooms. This is shocking. The whole system is collapsing.

“A mother of four children has contacted numerous hotels trying to secure accommodation in other hotels and has been told that there is none.

“The hotel refused to tell me how many families are affected but it is my understanding is that it could be 20 families put out of their only accommodation next week.

“Families will be turfed out next Tuesday after the busy bank holiday weekend with nowhere to go. They will be told again that there is no room in the inn.

“The homeless hubs in South Dublin are at full capacity so they are not an option. The Council will offer these families the option to self-accommodate.

“The option of self-accommodating on the face of it could be seen as giving the person ownership in the decision-making process. The reality is quite different.

“I am aware of families who have been asked to vacate their hotel rooms with their children in tow next week to make room for the influx of tourists.

“I have had families in my office with young children. They have all their personal belongings with them. No means of transport only public, if they can afford it. And above all no idea where they will be staying that night.

“The whole day for this family is spent on the phone ringing hotel after hotel trying to source accommodation. I’ve witnessed the stress that this puts parents under and in turn the trauma the children are going through.

“Often parents do not have a phone or credit to call these hotels. I’ve allowed parents the use of my phone to call hotels and have seen the desperation increase every time they are told there is no room in the inn.

"The look of hope in their children’s eyes disappearing with every call.

“On one occasion I had a couple with 3 children using my phone over an 8 hour period trying to get accommodation.

"Eventually they were successful in securing a roof for the night in a hotel that required them to get two buses to get to.

"So after eight hours of stress these tired and worn out parents had to bring their exhausted three children and all their belongings on two buses across the city to have a roof over their head.

“This is unacceptable."

The Sinn Fein representative from Clondalkin said that if we are to be judged on how we treat our most vulnerable, "I’m afraid that we are failing them miserably".

He added: “Protection for families like this needs to be brought in by the Minister. Hotels are happy to take the money during the down season but as soon as they think they can increase profits they are ruthless.”