Teenager tells of her joy as she can’t wait to sleep in own bed
A FAMILY who’ve been homeless for three years received the keys to their new house yesterday just in time for Christmas.
The family, whose previous home was repossessed following a marriage breakdown, hope to move in by Monday.
The terraced property was given to them by Dublin City Council and work is now under way to have it prepared.
Speaking to RTE’S Morning Ireland, Leaving Cert student Amanda – not her real name – had previously said she had no chance of going to college if she remained in a hotel room.
She said: “Getting the Christmas tree up, getting the floor done, getting my bed up so I can sleep here.
“I’m dying to spend the night here, just can’t wait. It’s going to be amazing. I don’t think it will until maybe our first proper night staying in here when all the beds are made, the floors are down. That’s probably when I’ll have to take a moment as it will just all hit me then.”
Despite Amanda’s own personal joy, she admitted there are people in the hotel over Christmas she would miss over Christmas.
She said: “It is very difficult to process and you have to leave some really good people back in the hotel when it’s a blessing to be able to leave it behind.
“When we came straight from school today, it was so relaxing to come home and get changed from your own Resident gets keys in Co Wicklow yesterday uniform to your own clothes in your own home. It’s so nice and peaceful.
“It’s my home, I can say it how many times I like. I’m so happy.”
Amanda’s mother Teresa – not her real name – said: “Once the electricity is switched on, we’re going to come back in and we’re hopefully going to get the decorations up for Christmas in the sitting room.
“Then hopefully my sister and I will get some flooring down in the kitchen. And even if those two rooms are ready, we’d be hopefully be here for Sunday, maybe even Christmas Eve.
“Then we can start preparing to cook the meal for Christmas dinner in the house.”
“Once the running around, the shopping for the house and the traffic is gone from it and we’re just able to sit down, I think it will just sink in actually what we’ve been through.
“And the nice people we’ve left behind in hotels, we’ll be thinking of them Christmas Day.
“They’re just wonderful children, wonderful families and they’re just going to be stuck in a hotel.”
GOOD MORNING IRELAND RTE YESTERDAY
I’m dying to spend the night there. I can’t wait, it will be amazing AMANDA