Evictions and tenant protections
Deputy Hearne highlights rising homelessness, mass notices to quit and an individual Wicklow case. The Tánaiste defends recent tenancy protections, acknowledges shortcomings and offers to examine the case directly.
The Dublin Simon Community's report this week showed a 20% increase in the number of women accessing its homeless services. We are in the midst of an unprecedented human catastrophe, with mass evictions taking place across this country. Families, children and the elderly are being evicted from their homes. A total of 30,000 households have been issued a notice to quit just in the last 18 months. One case I want to highlight is from the Tánaiste's own constituency. We were contacted by May Kelly and her husband, Michael, who have been renting in Wicklow for 20 years. They paid their rent on time every month. They are an elderly couple. Michael, who is 67, has been hospitalised and undergone three amputations. They have to vacate their home by December.
They have applied to the council but it has said they are over the limit. He is retired and now the council needs discretion to address their issue.
What kind of society are we becoming when a 67-year-old double amputee is being evicted and facing homelessness? Will the Tánaiste correct his statement from last week when he said the majority of tenants are covered by a no-fault evictions ban? That is not true. The majority of 250,000 rental households who are not covered by the new measures are still at risk of eviction into homelessness.
Comment on this
As Deputy Hearne knows, because we discussed this at length when Sinn Féin raised this last week, my comments related to the new measures that were brought in and it is true that under the new measures new tenancies, the majority of people are covered on no-fault evictions.
Comment on this
Not the majority of existing tenants.
Comment on this
Obviously, measures you bring in are prospective. We brought in a whole package of measures in terms of longer tenancies, making sure the RPZ was nationalised and bringing in an effective no-fault eviction ban for the majority of new tenants as well.
I take very seriously the case the Deputy raised. I do not feel too comfortable about speaking about an individual case in the Dáil but if the Deputy wants to sent me the details, or send them to my constituency office directly, I will work with Deputy Whitmore on this. We need to do better on that and I am happy to engage on it.