2025-12-10

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to make emergency provision to defer the termination dates of certain tenancies that fall, or would fall, during the period beginning on the day after the date of the passing of this Act and ending on 1 July 2026 in order to mitigate the risk that persons whose tenancies would otherwise be terminated during that period would be unable to obtain alternative accommodation; to make such provision on a phased basis to enable tenancies affected to be terminated over a period of time to assist in managing demands on housing services as a result of such deferred termination; and to provide for related matters. As the House knows, the level of homelessness has reached an historical high. In October, there were 16,766 people, including 5,274 children, in Department of housing-funded emergency accommodation. Of course, that is not the true level of homelessness. When we include rough sleepers, women and children in Tusla-funded domestic violence refuges and all those people with status or leave to remain trapped in IPAS accommodation essentially using it as emergency accommodation, the real number of homeless people in the State is over 22,000. That is before we even start to talk about people who are sofa-surfing or living in inadequate and inappropriate accommodation. At the same time as having these unacceptably high levels of homelessness, we also now have increasing levels of eviction notices. The most recent data from the Residential Tenancies Board indicates that from July to September of this year, 5,405 eviction notices were issued by landlords. That figure is up 35% on the same period last year and up 14% on the second quarter of this year. At the same time, contrary to what the Taoiseach has just told us, the volume of social housing that is being delivered is about half in real terms what it was in the 1970s when population and housing demand are taken into account. It is way below the Government's own targets, which are too low in the first place. At the same time as having inadequate provision of social housing, we see rents and eviction notices continuing to rise. What that tells any of us who are willing to look at the data is that over the next number of months, the number of families, single people, children and pensioners at risk of homelessness and, ultimately, entering into emergency accommodation will rise. That is totally unacceptable and nobody in this House should allow month-on-month rises in homelessness to be normalised. The big worry many of us now have is our local authorities and emergency accommodation providers are at near capacity. Very shortly, we will be back to the bad old days when Eoghan Murphy was Minister where families with children who are unable to access emergency accommodation will be referred to Garda stations, which, again, is utterly unacceptable. What do we need? We need an emergency response from Government so today I am introducing a ban on winter evictions Bill, which is one of a number of key emergency measures that must be introduced now to address this crisis. The legislation, if enacted in December, would ensure no-fault evictions could not take place until 1 July next year. That would not only reduce the number of people entering homelessness and address the capacity challenges but, crucially and most importantly, it would give the Government some breathing space during which it could introduce the other emergency measures that I and many homeless policy advocates have been urging the Government to do for many years. The first is, of course, to dramatically increase funding for local authorities for the tenant in situ scheme. That funding was dramatically cut this year by Government. It is a scheme that provides a vital homeless prevention support where landlords want to sell the property to the local authority and the social housing applicant wants to remain in what is effectively their home. We also need Government to go much further. We need the use of emergency planning and procurement powers combined with new building technologies to bring on stream a dedicated supply of additional social homes, specifically for people who are in emergency accommodation, prioritising in the first instance the growing number of pensioners in emergency accommodation and families with children. The full detail of that outlined was outlined in the Sinn Féin alternative housing plan last year. We also need to see a doubling of the number of new housing first tenancies for those single people who are trapped long term in emergency accommodation. More generally, we need a dramatic increase in targets for and delivery of social and affordable homes, including the right kinds of homes for people who are trapped long term in emergency accommodation. That is more one-bed and more four-beds and lager five-beds homes. Not only do we need to increase the number of those homes but, in turn, increase the dedicated allocation for those trapped in emergency accommodation. The Government never stops telling us that tackling the housing and homeless crisis is its number one priority, yet in the housing plan that was published only a few weeks ago, there was not a single new additional measure to prevent homelessness or to accelerate the exit of single people, families and children from emergency accommodation. A winter ban on evictions - a six month breathing space - is crucial. It is not the only action but one of a number of actions we have consistently proposed. Not only am I introducing this Bill today on First Stage but Sinn Féin will progress it through Private Members' time as a matter of urgency. Then we will be able to see whether the Government is serious about tackling homelessness or whether it is just more crocodile tears.

Is the Bill being opposed?

It is not opposed.

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."