Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided a temporary moratorium on tenancy terminations, other than in exceptional or limited cases, and on all increases in rent during the period from 27 March to 1 August 2020. The emergency measures aimed to assist in restricting the movement of people to suppress the spread of Covid-19 and applied to all tenants irrespective of their financial circumstances. The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 targets enhanced protections to the most vulnerable tenants until 10 January 2021 and respects the constitutionally protected property rights of landlords. As we learned to live with Covid-19 these provisions enabled the residential rental sector to resume activity in as near normal a manner as possible.

With effect from 1 August 2020, the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 introduced protections for those tenants who are facing rent arrears and, as a result, are at risk of losing their tenancy. If a tenant's ability to pay has been impacted by Covid-19 and the tenant meets specific criteria new procedures and protections apply by way of a very simple self-declaration. Tenants who follow these procedures cannot be required to vacate their rental accommodation before 11 January 2021 and are not required to pay any rent increase in respect of the period ending 10 January 2021.

These protections are having a significant effect on the level of tenancy termination. Of the 844 notices of arrears issued since the protections were enacted on 1 August, less than one in four has led to a notice of termination actually being issued. One in five tenants have availed of the protections available under the Act and their tenancies cannot be terminated until 11 January next year. The remaining 487 tenancies have not yet received any notice of termination. As the pandemic may or may not become more prevalent within society, I and the Government will keep a very close eye on the situation and bring forward any additional protections that are required at that time.

See this speech in context