The issuing of eviction notices to 36 separate households in Wexford by just one landlord is indicative of the huge crisis in the rental sector as the government ploughs ahead with measures that will make the situation even worse, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne said:
“For months now, I have been warning about the drastic rise in eviction notices that we are seeing all over the country given we know that evictions from private tenancies are the main cause of homelessness.
“In an indication of the scale of the crisis we are facing, eviction notices were issued at the weekend to 36 individual households in just one estate in Bridgetown, County Wexford. More than 100 people are now facing the prospect of losing their homes in the Housing Minister’s own constituency. This will devastate that community.
“Families received these notices to quit on Friday evening, just two days before the government’s disastrous new rental rules came into force. They are now faced with the prospect of trying to find alternative rental accommodation at hugely inflated prices, while also worrying about the knock-on impacts on jobs and their children’s education.
“The landlord that issued scores of these eviction, Patchflow Limited, claims that the evictions are taking place to sell these properties, but the legality of the notices to quit must be investigated.
“The Tyrrelstown Amendment restricts landlords from evicting tenants when selling 10 or more units in a single development within six months. It specifically mandates that homes must be sold with tenants in situ unless it’s proven to be unduly onerous.
“The new rental measures only came into effect yesterday – this is just the beginning of what will quickly become a social catastrophe. There were over 15,000 notices to quit issued to tenants last year while this year will see tens of thousands more households receive these notices.
“Homeless numbers reached more than 17,000 last month for the first time in Irish history, which is a direct result of government housing policy, and emergency accommodation is bursting at the seams. We cannot go on like this.
“The government must introduce a no-fault eviction ban for all existing tenancies – we need emergency measures to ensure no family is evicted into homelessness.”
March 2nd, 2026