‘We want to stay - I am not moving' from Limerick insists mother-of-three Fatimah

A MOTHER-OF-THREE who is facing relocation to Letterkenny says she “is not moving”, despite threats to have locks changed.
Fatimah Ayodele’s family are the only remaining tenants in an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Abbey Grove in Mungret, as other residents were relocated, but she is refusing to leave, as she wants to stay in Limerick close to where she works and where her children are in school.
Her children - Ade (12), Simon (10) and Anjie (8) are all attending school in Limerick and another move in their short lives to date would mean settling into a third school - something this mother does not want to put her children through.
Her children attend the Educate Together School on O’Connell Avenue and Mungret Community College.

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Ms Ayodele had been told in writing by the centre manager that “all locks in Abbey Grove will be changed” on Monday morning last. This was within days of her 40th birthday, which she said was “very difficult.”
Ms Ayodele has made it clear that she doesn't want to relocate.
“We want to stay in Limerick, even if there is another space that isn’t too far from the schools for the children.
“I’m not going to Donegal - I’m not moving, I can’t afford to jeopardise my children’s education. They need to just let me be.”
She said that the stress and worry is impacting her mental health and she has had to take time off from her job as a care assistant with Avista in Lisnagry.
Ms Ayodele has been looking for a private house to rent with no joy and said she cannot understand how it has reached this point.

The strongly-worded letter from centre management informed Ms Ayodele that “no further appeals or representations will be considered” in her case.
The letter stated: “Once the locks are changed on Monday you will no longer have access.”
A spokesperson for CATU told the Limerick Leader: “This family deserves the chance to build a life and community without having to see it ripped away from them moments later.
“They have worked hard to find work and education and build community in Limerick.”

In response to what Ms Ayodele considers to be forced eviction, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, of which IPAS is a unit, said that IPAS resident welfare teams work with residents and centre management, however, Ms Ayodele said that she has not met with any welfare team and she feels threatened.