Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

That is not good enough. The Taoiseach has said he does not want people being evicted because of minor refurbishment but this is not a minor refurbishment. It is a €3 million refurbishment. If the Taoiseach changes the rule to outlaw evictions arising from minor refurbishment, these people will still get evicted. The Taoiseach has stated he does not want people being evicted in the run-up to Christmas, which I welcome, but does he have a problem with people being evicted in January, February, March, April or May? It seems he does not.

Let us be clear about what is happening. This is a vulture fund that has gotten its claws into this building. They are putting 23 households, including young families, out on their ear in a market where if they look for a place, it will cost €1,000, €1,100, €1,200, €1,300 or €1,400, with queues of 50, 60 or 100 people going out the door and down the stairs. There are no homes to be had for these people. Is the Taoiseach prepared to say to his housing Minister that the loophole must be closed in such a way that the people in the Gallery and families like them around the country will not be evicted? They should protected in the case of minor refurbishment and in general from the activities from profiteering vulture funds.

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