Latest Murphy Rent proposal will lead to more evictions – could have been done this week with Labour amendment

Responding to the latest proposals from the Minister for Housing to restrict the grounds for eviction of renters Jan O’Sulllivan TD, Labour Housing spokesperson was said it was unbelievable this proposal was not made over the last two weeks by the Minister if he was really serious about solving the housing crisis, and that it would come too late for thousands of tenants. He refused to accept Labour amendments on proposed tenancies of indefinite duration.

She added that the announcement of this proposal now, gives landlords months to evict tenants before the law changes.

Deputy O’Sullivan said:

“This latest FG proposal is too little, too late; it’s something we’ve called on for some time and have proposed amendments on just recently; but the way the Minister is going about it now will lead to more evictions in the short term.

“A bill to amend the Residential Tenancies Acts has just been passing through the Oireachtas and I brought this exact amendment forward in the Dáil a fortnight ago, and Kevin Humphreys proposed it in the Seanad last week. It was rejected then by the Minister.

“It is bizarre and irresponsible that days after it was in the Seanad the Minister for Housing would announce his intentions to make another major change in the law on evictions many months before it will actually happen.

“He is quoted in the Irish Independent saying “Currently, a landlord can evict a tenant after six years without reason. That will change.”. He could have changed it last week.

“Unfortunately he has just provided landlords with months of notice that if they want to evict their long term tenants, they have until the end of the year. The Minister could have brought this amendment to the Seanad this week if he was really serious.

“The Minister says his government is not restrained by ideology but every single change to rent law that they have finally implemented in any way has been proposed multiple times in opposition legislation. It is always too little too late with FG.

“Commercial tenants have more rights when the property they rent is sold then residential tenants. That says it all.”