Government vows eviction ban won’t be coming back
THE Government will not consider reintroducing the eviction ban even if there is a spike in homelessness, the Taoiseach has said.
Leo Varadkar said that such a move would not reduce the number of people without a home.
The Fine Gael leader made the remarks as the Government defended its decision to end the eviction ban at the end of the month, amid severe criticism from Opposition parties and homelessness charities.
Speaking at the Finance Committee yesterday, Mr Varadkar said: ‘If there’s a massive increase in homelessness, then we have to figure out what is the best way to reverse that. Would the reimposition of an eviction ban for a number of months do that? I think it probably wouldn’t.
‘And I think what we’d have to do then is step up our activities in other areas – building more social housing, stepping up the work that we do to prevent homelessness, stepping up cost rental, putting in place a package to encourage small landlords in particular to stay in the market or re-enter the market.’ It comes as the Dáil heard that families made homeless during the housing crisis were being told to head to their local Garda station to find a safe place to stay.
During heated exchanges at Leaders’ Questions, the Government issued a robust defence of the decision.
Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said the step would push many families into homelessness. However, Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the Government was coming up with solutions and accused Mr Doherty of ‘reprehensible dishonesty’.
While critics of the move claim it will result in more people becoming homeless, the Government has insisted that prolonging the measure will see more landlords leave the rental market, reducing an already low supply of accommodation even further.
Mr Doherty told the Dáil: ‘We are living in the middle of a housing emergency caused by Government actions and inactions. Your latest policy is to extend the eviction ban that was helping to keep the roofs over the heads of so many workers and families.’
Mr Doherty produced a letter from South Dublin County Council referencing a family who have been left homeless.
He said the family had been told there is no emergency accommodation for them and that they were to present themselves at a local Garda station. He added: ‘This is what is happening on your watch. Families are now being told by local authorities that where they need to go to stay safe is the local Garda station. This is a wealthy country but Government decisions have taken the basic right of having a roof over your head away from an entire generation of people.’
Mr Martin responded: ‘I am interested in solutions to the housing crisis, and we do have a housing crisis.’
He told TDs that Sinn Féin had said it would end the evictions ban in December.
‘You talk out of both sides of your mouth on this,’ he said
‘That is the kind of dishonesty that I find reprehensible in terms of debating the housing crisis.
‘The bottom line here is we need supply, supply, supply. That is the fundamental way to deal with this crisis.’
Sinn Féin confirmed that it would be tabling a motion on the decision to end the eviction ban, with a vote on the issue due to take place on March 22, after the Government returns from St Patrick’s Day engagements around the world.
‘We need supply, supply, supply’