Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Ó Broin and the Simon Communities. I welcome the Government's decision not to block this Bill.

The Bill highlights and seeks to address the immediate crisis that people face when they are given notice by their landlord. To put this into context, in my constituency of Tipperary the number of people classed as homeless, in the Government’s own monthly homeless figures, has increased from 33 to 45. That is a rise of over a third. Thousands of people on the housing list are waiting on the rental market but it is non-existent. I appreciate and get on great with the HAP scheme placefinders in Tipperary but they will tell you that their hands are tied and there are no properties out there. I was on Daft.ie earlier and there are 16 properties for rent in a county the size of Tipperary. We have over 400 people on waiting lists down there. We can have a review. This seems to be a buzzword for this Government. I would love to know how many reviews from all strands have been undertaken since it took power. With everything, when there is a problem, the Government will have a review.

Families are struggling as it is. As Deputy Paul Donnelly has said, they are in fear coming up to Christmas. They are under severe pressure. The Government must act on this. The extension would be triggered by the housing authority itself and it can get in earlier because that is where the worry is. People are having severe worries, not just at Christmas but all year round, that suddenly the tenancy is up and they have to get out.

It is an atrocious situation to see people in. These are the people who are hidden from the Government’s figures on a monthly basis. I commend Deputy Ó Broin and the Simon Communities. I welcome the Government’s stand on this and I hope it will give more support to it.

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