The law is inadvertently facilitating the further abuse of social housing tenants
Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns has called on the Government to make changes to legislation to protect social housing tenants who are survivors of domestic abuse.
“As things stand, a person who is abusing their partner can refuse to relinquish their rights under a joint social housing tenancy agreement. This means that even if there is a barring order in place against a former partner, their name remains on the tenancy and they cannot be unwillingly removed.
“This creates a situation where a victim must secure the agreement of their abuser when applying for a housing transfer. The unintended consequence of this is that the law is inadvertently facilitating further abuse.
“I fully accept that domestic violence is a complex issue and there are few easy solutions. However, in this case, an amendment to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2014, would make a significant difference to people, mainly women and children, living in vulnerable situations.
“In the Dáil today, I urged the Taoiseach to begin the process of making the necessary legislative changes to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse. While I welcome his commitment to raise my request with the Minister for Housing, it is vital that the Government moves on this issue without delay.”
December 13, 2022