Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to my amendments Nos. 18, 22 and 23. Amendment No. 23 covers the main issues Deputy Ó Broin spoke about with regard to removing the ground of a dwelling no longer being suitable to tenants' needs. Having this as a ground for eviction, when in fact the worst thing that could probably happen in terms of the tenants' and renters' needs is for them to be evicted and potentially evicted into homelessness, does not make sense. It certainly does not make sense given the intention of the Bill and what the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is seeking to do with it.

On amendments Nos. 18 and 22, I touched on this in the previous round of amendments. These amendments seek to remove the grounds of sale as a reason for renters to be evicted. To be very clear, in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania, one cannot on these grounds evict renters who pay their rent. All of these countries have functioning rental markets. The landlords get their rent. If they sell the property, the landlords get a fair price and a fair return, and the sky has not fallen down on the rental market there. The difference is that renters get to stay in their homes they have contributed to and stay in the communities to which they have contributed. I have met renters, as I am sure all Members have, who have been in place for 12, 16 or 20 years who have paid, through their rent, almost the entire mortgage - if not the full mortgage - and loan cost of the property in which they live. That is some contribution to have made. Then they get an eviction notice, which is completely unnecessary. They have paid, in their rent, the cost of the repayments of that home, yet they are getting thrown out. They have done everything right. This is something that could be changed in our legislation. It would simply bring us in line with all of those other European countries. In fact, some of the European countries that are not on that list would have some ability to evict but it is under restricted circumstances. That is all I ask for in this amendment to bring us in line with most European countries and to have a bit of human decency in respecting renters who pay their rents and respecting it being their home.

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