Department of Housing beyond a mess
- Eviction ban needed to stem homelessness
Labour Senator and Oireachtas Housing Committee member Mark Wall has urged Government to reintroduce the eviction ban.
Senator Wall said:
“The evidence from Threshold today is stark. There are over 12,000 people living in homelessness, and this doesn’t reflect the volume of people who are forced to couch surf in the homes of friends and family.
“I was deeply concerned to hear the testimony of public health nurse Jackie Austin of the deeply unsuitable accommodation being used to house homeless families – with many families unable to fit a cot or crib in hotel rooms. It’s outrageous and a stain on our society.
“Labour’s Homeless Families Bill, supported by Focus Ireland, would ensure that families with children would have the needs of those children prioritised by authorities when seeking housing allocation. It’s a no brainer to pass it. I would urge this coalition of convenience to move on this Bill before the Oireachtas rises for summer.
“As a member of the Housing Committee, I have consistently called for the reintroduction of the eviction ban. It is not a silver bullet but it is our only option to keep people homed in this crisis.
“There has been a 22% increase in homelessness year on year. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party are utterly failing on tackling the housing crisis. They clearly do not understand the complexity of family and childhood homelessness. If they did, the eviction ban would have remained in place until a better plan for delivering supply of houses was enacted.”