A new eviction ban could “stop the flow” of children and pensioners into homelessness before Christmas, according to Sinn Féin.
The party’s new election ban bill will be debated in the Dáil later today before the legislation is voted on tomorrow.
“It’s a very simple choice, you either want more children and pensioners homeless this Christmas or you don’t,” he said.
“If you want more pensioners homeless this Christmas, you oppose our bill.”
Breaking point
The Sinn Féin housing spokesperson said the State’s emergency accommodation system is at breaking point.
“[The eviction ban] helps, first of all, by stopping the flow of single people, adults with children, and pensioners going into emergency accommodation,” said Deputy Ó Broin.
“In the first three quarters of this year, 15,000 eviction notices have been issued and another 5,000 are expected in the final quarter.
“Every single week - in fact almost every single day - people are presenting for emergency accommodation.
“Our emergency accommodation system is almost at breaking point.”
Rental market
Deputy Ó Broin said the ban won't force landlords to exit the rental market.
“When the Government ended the ban on no-fault evictions earlier this year, the rate of eviction notices that were issued continued at the same pace as before,” he said.
“We have to create a breathing space, with emergency measures that I have been calling for the Government to introduce for years, to slow the speed of people entering emergency accommodation and accelerate the exit.”
Failing
Deputy Ó Broin said the Government is failing to meet housing targets.
“One of the big problems at the moment is the speed at which people are able to leave emergency accommodation is far slower than it was a number of years ago,” he said.
“One, because the Government isn’t meeting their social or affordable housing targets.
“Two, because they haven’t put in place any additional measures to address the homeless crisis in Budget 2024.”
Spooking the market
Deputy Ó Broin said the ban would not ‘spook the market’.
“There is also no evidence that these policies are having any impact on the level of eviction notices,” he said.
“We have to force Government, and we keep trying to do this, to put in place emergency measures.”
He suggested that measures such as emergency procurement and planning powers are needed by the Government to get on top of housing demand.
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Main image: Sinn Féin spokesperson on housing, Eoin Ó Broin, speaking to media on the plinth outside Leinster House in September 2021. Picture by: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie
