Limerick tenants latest victims of Governments rental mess
Limerick tenants latest victims of Governments rental mess - The Labour Party
- Minister needs to go back to drawing board
Labour’s housing spokesperson and TD for Limerick City said he is outraged by the news that 20 families at The Park on Lord Edward Street will be evicted as the latest consequence of the changed rental rules.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Wexford last week and Limerick this week. It is absolutely outrageous that this Government is facilitating the eviction of families renting across the country. The effect of the changes in the rental rules will be more and more people pushed into homelessness by eviction from the private rental market.
“This is a direct result of governments ham fisted rental bill which will drive rents through the roof and further undermine renting as a stable form of housing. This is the second large scale eviction since the one that was pulled in Minister James Browne’s own constituency.
“Labour along with other opposition parties, warned that this bill would have devastating consequences for renters that has now become apparent. The Minister needs to go back to the drawing board now to prevent this contagion spreading.
“Behind every one of those notices is a family, a worker, a child in a local school, a person who has built their life here in Limerick and who now faces the very real prospect of losing their home.
“The Labour Party will be working to support these families in the short term, but in the long term we need to hear from Minister Browne just what is going to do to protect renters.
“Families cannot simply pick up and find another affordable home at short notice. There aren’t affordable options sitting idle by in Limerick City.
“I’m calling on the Minister to step in immediately, to examine these cases in detail and to ensure that every legal protection available to tenants is enforced. Homelessness rates and rents are too high in this country. We need a complete ban on no fault evictions which Minister Browne’s bill does not contain.”