The Government must immediately reinstate the no-fault eviction ban to stem the rising tide of homelessness, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan.
Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“This year, at least 13,000 people – almost 4,000 of them children – will spend Christmas in emergency homeless accommodation. The latest shameful figures are the highest ever recorded in the history of the State and are likely to rise further before 2023 is out.
“The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has consistently stated that the eviction ban didn’t work. However, there is clear evidence to show that the last eviction ban, which ran from October 2022 to March of this year, was making a difference.
“The number of people in homeless emergency accommodation dropped for the first time in February 2023 after 13 consecutive months of increases.
“Significantly, the number of children in emergency accommodation decreased in December 2022 after 11 months of increases – a downward trend that continued for three months in a row while the eviction ban was in place.
“It is no coincidence that child homelessness has risen every month since the eviction ban was lifted at the end of March.
“The reintroduction of the eviction ban would help reduce the number of people becoming homeless through no fault of their own.
“In addition, my Tenancy Protection Bill 2023, which passed its second stage in the Dáil last week and can now go to the Housing Committee, will add another layer of security for renters. The Bill, if enacted, will protect renters by closing down loopholes that allow for mass evictions.
“Renters deserve real security of tenure, underpinned by robust legislation. Nobody who pays their rent on time should have to live in constant fear of being evicted.”
December 12, 2023