Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Constitution is regularly used as an excuse for not doing things. It has often been used for blocking interventions on housing. It was used to argue against any kind of rent measures, even the rent pressure zones that we eventually ended up with. It was used as an argument against a rent freeze. It was used as an argument against a ban on evictions such as the Focus Ireland amendment that was argued for by many political parties and civil society organisations for a long time. It turns out that it can be done. The Government and the previous Government have been remiss in not arguing on the basis of the significant social need that existed at the time and the common good that was involved in that for an intervention such as exists in this legislation and existed in previous legislation.

Nevertheless, the introduction of the legislation is welcome. Thousands of people remain in significant fear of eviction and notices to quit. It was an error and was hasty and unwise to remove the ban at the time. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, and with Deputy O'Dowd that we need to go further with the timescale. I am sure it is the same in the Minister's constituency but even with everything that is happening with Covid, housing is still the number one issue among the people who ring and email us. Many people who are getting notices to quit are still fearful of eviction. I am thinking of a family that has been dealing with Cork City Council, at one level or another, for 17 years while seeking housing. They have been failed in not having been given more permanent accommodation but that is an issue for another day. They received their notice to quit during the height of the pandemic. It came back into focus in recent weeks. They now have a brief reprieve but it is only a small relief because they are now looking at eviction in December. They have not worked in recent weeks and were not working at the start of the year. Realistically, they will not pick up work between now and Christmas but they face eviction between now and Christmas if this ban is lifted when restrictions may be lifted in six weeks. We need to look much further than that to give people breathing space and the chance to make alternative arrangements if they need to, ideally to keep their home but if that is not possible, to allow them to prepare. We need to go much further with the timescales.

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