Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson, Cian O’Callaghan TD, has described the Government’s removal of pandemic protections for renters as premature and short-sighted.
Deputy O’Callaghan said:
“The statement by the Minister for Housing in the Dáil today, justifying the removal of protections for renters based on Ireland moving out of a public health emergency, is extremely premature. Covid-19 still poses a significant risk and we must do everything we can to prevent and limit the spread of infections.
“Evicting renters into overcrowded accommodation and into homelessness is clearly against the interests of public health. It is important that the huge collective national effort to suppress Covid-19 is not undermined by the Government proposals to bring back evictions on most grounds for all renters.
“More than 75% of notices to quit are issued by landlords who want vacant possession of their property and there will be no protection under the Government bill for any tenants served with a notice to quit on these grounds. There is absolutely no justification during a pandemic for putting tenants at risk in order to make more homes empty.
“I am tabling a number of amendments to the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020 to improve security of tenure for tenants and to make the private rented sector more viable and secure – I am calling on the Government to accept these amendments.”
July 28, 2000