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DEBENHAMS STAFF TOOK to the streets outside the Dáil today to call on politicians to take action to protect the jobs of workers.
The closure of the store saw the loss of 2,000 jobs and was announced after the UK retailer told staff that the business would be going into liquidation.
The action outside the Dáil today followed on from other socially-distanced protests in recent weeks by staff calling on the company to offer full redundancy packages.
Dozens of staff, some holding placards, gathered along Kildare Street and outside the Dáil this morning.
More action is also planned for Friday across the country.
Currently, many workers will only receive statutory redundancy.
The workers are now calling on the liquidation process to be frozen or extended until after the Covid-19 crisis.
One worker, Ann Peppard, told TheJournal.ie ”the government has done unprecedented things during this crisis”.
“But behind the scenes, liquidation is still going on,” she said.
Peppard said that workers wanted to hand a letter to Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys to ask for for the government’s support.
“We need a bigger voice,” Peppard said.
Peppard said that the mood among workers was positive and that some TDs had stopped and talked to protesters this morning.
“Debenhams has always been one great big family. It’s come to light more since we lost our jobs,” she said.
“There is no shouting or chanting. We’re quietly standing here with messages on our boards asking for the government’s help.”
Debenhams had operated four stores in Dublin, two in Cork and others in Galway, Limerick, Newbridge, Tralee and Waterford.
The Covid-19 pandemic has already had a severe impact on the Irish economy. According to the Central Statistics Office, there are now 602,107 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment while 425,204 people are benefiting from the government’s Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.
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It’s about time they done something with it
@Hugh Courtney:
Why not restore the building as an important piece of architectural heritage?
@Emmet Dillane: why not just flush money down the toilet?
@Emmet Dillane: the restoration is part of the project
@Fiona Brown: No doubt as usual, the only original part that will remain will be the facade.
@Emmet Dillane: you were in such a hurry to be first to comment (as usual) that you forgot to pay attention to the article……….
At his point in time it’s hard to know which organization, Dublin City Council or the Irish Republican Army has had a more detrimental effect on Ireland’s Georgian architectural history.
@Emmet Dillane: did you not read the article they are going to restore the building,which has been an eyesore for as long as i can remember and i go back to the sixties,this area badly needs this type of investment ,just close by is a memorial to the hundreds of locals who have died from drugs
@Emmet Dillane: that’s a terrible, disgraceful and uncalled for attack on the ‘Ra…
Here’s what inside looks like. http://jrnl.ie/1778701
@Honeybadger197:
Amazing. What an inspiring place to reside. Would have made a great squat.
@Emmet Dillane: True!
@Honeybadger197: they’re amazing pictures all the same!
@Deborah Behan: I think so too
a picture of the horrible plan might be useful thejournal https://twitter.com/lostexpectation/status/890634991884943361
@steve white: That is indeed horrible. Thanks for the link.
steve, if the area is due for development eitherway then this plan doesn’t look as bad as I first imagined with neither office block higher than the mansion itself but it still retaining it’s central position. Maybe the alternative might be to move it brick by brick?
@steve white: that’s alright. Much worse has been done to Dublin, even in recent years. Might bring a boost to the area too.
@winston smith: the entire house deserves it own space https://twitter.com/dubcivictrust/status/902577907431768065
steve, maybe so but I just found this link to a photgraph of an old house in Meath which was integrated with a hotel and still looks tasteful?http://www.moposa.com/files/files/venue/000/000/278/11a897a48937/venueProfilePhotos/20140609173352.jpg
@winston smith: aldborough house is to be enveloped :/
@steve white: enveloped or knocked down – I know which option I’d prefer
@steve white: totally agree.
You’re always guaranteed to see An Taisce on the objection list! Bunch of wasters!
@selfsustainable: Yes! a prize to anyone who can find a development An Taisce have NOT objected to:)
@selfsustainable: And they’re right to object this! Glad to see An Taisce are covering all this Celtic Tiger Part II crap. More power to them.
@Vincent Byrne: Yes, protect the ancient, tiny pretty buildings and drive up private and commercial rents! That’s the spirit!
We need serious deregulation of what can be built where in Dublin city if we’re going to get out of this mess any time soon. The 20 storey tower that was rejected at the bottom of Tara St as a prime example of the Sinn Féin-led City Council’s ineptitude
If An Taisce and all the other objectors put their hands in their pockets and renovated it themselves, then maybe they’d have a point. Otherwise, butt out and save the magnificent building for future generations.
@Fiona Brown: Actually, the Irish Georgian Society do, on a regular basis. Without some of their patrons, Castletown House would just be another Golf Club, hotel and spa on NAMA’s books.
Damned if we do and damned if we don’t…if only we had a crystal ball to save this treasure.
The plan would ruin the building can just imagine what the DCC would say if was an ordinary person looking to even put a small building. It should be hotel or maybe at a push apartments. Or maybe weatherspoons could restore it.
@: have you been down in that area ,the building is already a ruin the new buildings will accentuate the old one and enhance a complete eyesore ,often when i would be sitting in traffic approaching The Five Lamps, just to see that wrecked site was enough to depress me for the day,i would have thought the locals are delighted with this news, as a drug infested area lord knows what went on in that building
@Robert Harris: yea I have been the whole area needs a make over.
Hi
Now’s your chance to live right across the street – https://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/dublin-1/29-portland-row-dublin-1-dublin-1536143 29 Portland Row, Dublin 1
@Gary Wildman: that is jaw dropping,never would have thought that was behind the door
Protected structure my arse, if its not developed soon it will colapse.
If ever there was an ad for where not to build, The flats in the garden of this building was a massive mistake.
This building should be an attraction or musem or somthing that would benefit the area.
A beautiful house, good to see something being done with it. Might need a big fence though….
About time this was brought back into use, having been vandalised & neglected for years.
Always wondered why & how this once publicly owned fine building passed into speculative ownership?
As for the new office wings, the architects can surely design a complementary facade to placate the objectors.
They just love building ugly office blocks in this country…
So many homeless families in Dublin City, architecture qualities becomes irrelevant.
Is there anything left to save inside the building?
Knock the entire building down and rebuild.
@Tom McKiernan: Philistine
Not a lover of Brit buildings in Eire as such, but this one has some merit but it’s been on a starvation diet forever. A new sensitive use is laudable
have your say