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

I was watching the debate on a screen on a level below the Chamber and heard the Minister taking my name in vain. I wish to reply to what was said in that regard. I will be brief. The Minister stated that I am forecasting a flood of evictions. He should look at the figures. More than 10,000 people were in emergency accommodation when the eviction ban was introduced in spring. There were fewer than 9,000 people in emergency accommodation when the ban was lifted at the end of July, a difference of in the region of 1,500 people. It was the most successful housing policy introduced by a Government in the past five years. If the Minister thinks the numbers will not climb again when he reverses the ban, that thinking defies logic. It is the case that the numbers did not increase significantly at the end of August. We will see the figures as at the end of September when they are released next week. It does not make sense to state that when one reverses a ban which reduced the number of people in emergency accommodation by more than 1,500, one is not in danger of the number beginning to travel in the opposite direction again. The anecdotal evidence on the ground is that, without a doubt, evictions are back up and running.

I refer to the points raised by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. I do not know whether he declared an interest in this debate.

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