Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Eviction is simply a word to this Government. It is something that, hopefully, no Members of Government will ever have to face. For too many of my north Kildare constituents, looming eviction is an absolute terror. It is the terror of joining the almost 12,000 people in emergency accommodation across the State. That number does not include those who are sofa surfing or living on the floors of family members. Eviction is the terror of being reported to Tusla by the county council and losing your children if emergency accommodation cannot be found, which is so often the case in Kildare at the moment, and being forced to sleep in the car. It is the absolute terror of the working couple with a young child. I know of one such couple. The wife, Ruby, works as a healthcare assistant in north Kildare. She has already been served with an eviction notice and she is worried about being evicted from her home if and when the eviction ban is lifted. What are Ruby, her husband and young child going to do? There is nowhere to go. Across the State, there are fewer than 1,000 places available to rent. For another constituent of mine, Paula, eviction is the terror of losing her granddaughter to foster care. Her two grandsons are already in foster care because she has been issued with an eviction notice and the home she is living in only has two bedrooms. Eviction is a red letter day in the lives to too many people. Paula's two little grandsons bawl their eyes out every time they leave her and their sister; every time they leave their family. The boys' case is up for review in June and Paula is hoping to get a home from the council so that they can come to live with her and their sister. Without a suitable place, these boys will not be able to have a home. They are already deprived of the right to live with their family and their sister by this housing crisis alone.

This housing crisis is a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis that is breaking hearts, families and futures. The Government claims that it puts children first, but that is not the case for Paula and her grandchildren or the 3,500 children in emergency accommodation. It is just appalling. There are families living with the fear of being reported to Tusla hanging like a sword over their heads because the local authorities cannot come up with emergency accommodation. When we think about it, the Minister really should be ashamed. Eviction terrorises innocent people and the children of these families as well. I call on the Minister to extend the eviction ban.

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