Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, was established in 2004 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. It has also advised successive Governments. This Government is causing evictions every day by supporting the vulture funds who are in the courts during every sitting hour, getting court orders to evict tenants from rental properties. The vulture funds are not landlords so they can do what they like. This is a gaping hole in the Minister's policy. It is one of his major problems. He is not protecting tenants. Vulture evictions are happening daily, faster than one could even think of building a house. Why is the RTB not supporting these tenants when they end up in court? It offers no support whatsoever. Why does the RTB's legal team not support the tenants who are being evicted? Vulture funds are causing huge distress by putting them out on the side of the road.

The figures today are damning. Some 10,514 persons were in emergency accommodation in October. That is 117 more than in September and a new record high for the Minister. The game is up for him. He has failed, and so have five or six successive Ministers who were mentioned tonight. He will not deal with the vulture funds or the banks. He will not pass any legislation to stop them causing the havoc and mayhem that they cause.

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