Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The tenancy warning is a specific legislative measure with a particular purpose. I am adding it to the existing procedures of housing authorities to help them to deal with instances of anti-social behaviour in their housing stock. It is part of the ongoing communication, but it has a specific purpose. The purpose of a tenancy warning is to inform a tenant that a condition of his or her tenancy agreement prohibiting anti-social behaviour has been breached, to require the tenant to take steps to prevent a continuation or recurrence of such behaviour and to warn the tenant of the consequences if the breach of the tenancy agreement is repeated.

The problem is that a statement of supports available to tenants is not appropriate in a statutory warning that a tenant receives concerning behaviour and that could lead to termination of his or her tenancy agreement. Certainly, the housing authority should and does, in its capacity as a social landlord, provide all appropriate assistance to a tenant when dealing with a household member engaged in anti-social behaviour. This should be done through the many contacts available other than the tenancy warning. The tenancy warning has the specific purpose of telling the people concerned that they are in breach. It is more appropriate in the context of other communications from the local authority.

See this speech in context