Doherty on eviction ban: 'Homeless services in Donegal will not be able to cope'

Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, has said that the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar must tell families and individuals facing eviction where they are supposed to live.

This comes as Sinn Féin publishes it motion calling on the Government to reverse its decision to end the ban on evictions.

Teachta Doherty said: “Leo Varadkar and Michéal Martin must tell families and individuals in Donegal who face being made homeless in April, as a result of their decision to end the eviction ban, where they are supposed to live. This cruel and heartless decision will leave families, single people and pensioners with nowhere to go once they are evicted.

“Figures released by the Residential Tenancies Board show that from July to September alone, 88 eviction notices in Donegal were served by landlords on their tenants. These figures show that the scale of homeless risk from April 1, when the government’s ban on evictions ends, is much worse than expected.

“This means more people than ever before will have to leave their homes. Homeless services in Donegal will not be able to cope. People think homelessness is a problem confined to Dublin and other citizens – but a week doesn’t go by when I am not contacted by citizens in Donegal who have the threat of eviction hanging over them.

“The eviction ban was there only protection – the Government have now taken it from them. Across the State, the consequence will be thousands of people forced to stay with family and friends, a rise in rough sleeping, and the prospect of families with children being referred to Garda stations for a safe place to sleep.

“The government does not grasp the severity of the situation, and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar urging him to reverse his government's decision to lift the eviction ban. From July to September last year, 4,741 eviction notices across the State were served. These numbers are a direct consequence of government failure. For years they have over relied on the private rental sector to meet social and affordable housing need.

“For six years, single property landlords have been leaving the market. Despite this, government has abjectly failed to deliver a sufficient volume of social and affordable housing, or to purchase private rental accommodation with tenants in situ.

“Government must immediately reverse the decision to end the ban on evictions. Emergency legislation must be brought before the Dáil before the ban ends on March 31 and all renters must be given the protection they deserve.

“Today my party have published a motion that will be before the Dáil next week calling on the Government to reverse its cruel decision to end the eviction ban – and I urge all Donegal TDs to stand by those at risk of eviction and homelessness and support this motion.

“The government must see sense and extend the ban on evictions, and put in place an ambitious series of emergency measures in the months ahead to reduce the number of people becoming homeless and to increase and accelerate the supply of social and affordable homes.”