Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

In light of the fact that 12 families, 30 children and a pregnant woman turned up at Garda stations last night, will the Government support the Residential Tenancies (Housing Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) (Amendment) Bill 2016 in about ten minute's time? If not, what legislation will it bring in? Who in the councils is telling people to go to Garda stations and why? What are gardaí supposed to do? They have enough on their hands. Will the Government issue a direction to stop the practice? The fear of having one's children taken away is probably the biggest fear any parent has. I am addressing the Tánaiste, the Government and the Labour Party. This crisis has been going on for three years. We know it takes time. The Government invokes the Housing assistance payment, HAP, yet one of the women who was evicted was in a rental accommodation scheme, RAS, property. The Tánaiste knows RAS. It is the thing the Labour Party and Fine Gael told us was the solution to the housing crisis. Unless there are measures brought in to keep people in their homes and to stop them being evicted as a result of the sale of a property or its occupation by a family member of the owner, this will continue. Will the Government support the Bill in about ten minute's time?

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