Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Under our laws, there is nothing that a tenant can do if a bank or landlord - the owner of a property - decides to sell it. After due process has been followed, the tenant must vacate the property. Buy-to-lets are the homes of the people renting them, but those people are the group most likely to suffer from poverty and most in danger of becoming homeless because they cannot find alternative rented accommodation. Some are in receipt of rent allowance, while some are low-paid families.

The current homelessness crisis is the worst in the history of the State. The Government has a role in the two issues that have led to this situation. The mortgage arrears resolution targets, MARTs, that have been set by the banks put an onus on them to repossess properties. No code of conduct protects non-home owners. The code only protects those who have residential mortgages. Something could be introduced in this regard. The Minister has stated that he favours the continual rise in house prices because he believes it will lead to a recovery.

This is also why the banks are selling but nobody benefits other than the very wealthy.

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