Homeless family after eviction ban
Deputy Ward raised a homeless mother and two children who were told there was no emergency accommodation after the eviction ban ended. The Tánaiste said local authorities and schemes were working to resolve cases, reiterated that ending the ban was a difficult but necessary decision, and said he would discuss the specific family if given the full story.
The decision to end the eviction ban just shows how out of touch the Government is with the reality of the housing crisis. What has been done is inhumane and has put unnecessary pressure on thousands of families across the State. I refer to the case of a young mother in my area and her two young children who, through no fault of their own, presented as homeless to South Dublin County Council. They were told that there was no room in emergency accommodation and that they would have to self-accommodate. There were no rooms in any of the local hotels, however. The response I got from South Dublin County Council in respect of this matter states:
There are no other options available to offer your constituent. If emergency accommodation is not available in the county or there are no vacancies in the hotel system, your constituent should present to their local Garda station for a safe place to stay.
The Tánaiste did not answer the question posed by Deputy Doherty earlier. Will he answer my question? In the context of the next mother - and there will be one because of the lifting of the eviction ban - who presents in this regard, what advice does the Tánaiste have to offer with regard to where she and her children should go?
Comment on this
We are engaging with the local authorities in respect of their responses in such situations. Deputy Doherty said that the family got sorted. I would like to know how they got sorted.
Comment on this
No one individual sorts it. If something gets sorted, it is because of the provision made through some scheme or other. That is all I am saying. The complete story would help. I have no issue with talking with the Deputy about the matter.
Comment on this
We did not get the complete story. My point is that we can resolve these issues. We do not want to see anyone homeless. That is the reason we took the decision. Ultimately, retaining the ban would damage the situation more. That is the only reason we took the decision, which we did not like taking. This was a very difficult decision to take. When we are told that the situation will become much worse if we continue with the ban, we have to listen to that advice.