Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been calling for these for months. This is the reason. It is the pressure that we have put on local authorities and the Department. I will move on because I am conscious of the time.

This is all about the delivery of housing. We want to see houses delivered because we are dealing with unbelievable cases. The decision was made to lift the ban on evictions without supply. We know the ban on evictions cannot be there forever but when it was put in place originally last year supply was to be ramped up. I am dealing with a number of people who are losing their houses. A few weeks ago I raised in the Dáil the issue of a woman who has COPD and is on oxygen 24 hours a day. She was due to be evicted a few weeks ago. She got an extension then but she is to be out on Thursday. I spoke to her family. This lady is a pensioner with a serious medical condition.

I know of a woman who has leukaemia and another woman with breast cancer. One is undergoing radiotherapy and the other is undergoing chemotherapy. I know of a family whose child has autism who will be going into emergency accommodation. We can imagine moving from the country to the city to go into a hub and then going back out to the country every day so a child can have an education. These are the cases I am dealing with. The Minister has not delivered a supply of housing. I appeal to the Minister to reinstate the ban on evictions and give himself an opportunity to deliver what he is trying to deliver. Then we might be in a better position this time next year or early next year if the Minister can deliver supply.