Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Yesterday, the Taoiseach revealed to me in this House that the Government will make a decision on whether to extend the eviction moratorium in the next two to three weeks. The current moratorium will end on 31 March. By the Taoiseach's own account, the Government is giving itself until 15 March to make a decision. However, people across the country have already been given notices to quit and many families are counting down the days until they will be without a home. Does the Taoiseach think it is fair to leave those renters in limbo?

It is important to say that the eviction ban was only ever as useful as the actions taken while it has been in place. Despite all the backslapping by Government Deputies and Ministers and the endless spin, the Government has not used that time well. It should have been a productive breathing space to provide additional accommodation for people. While some building targets may have been met, the Government's advice indicates that it has set them far too low. It has introduced the tenant in situscheme, which we welcomed, but it is applied inconsistently.

There are particularly low conversion rates in Dublin, where the crisis is worst. Much was said by the Government about taking action on vacant and derelict homes, and this is again welcome, but Dublin City Council has taken ownership of just 25 derelict properties in the past five years. This is a shamefully low figure.

The Taoiseach states that he understands the scale of the crisis, but yesterday's mini-budget did not contain a single housing support for renters or homeowners. When will we see real emergency measures adopted by the Government to tackle the housing crisis? Will the Taoiseach please announce today the extension of the eviction ban because timing is crucial. It is crucial for families. We are halfway through the school term. We are just a few short weeks away from the leaving and junior certificate examinations and third level assessments. We are also seeing a spate of job losses. Today's announcement by Google, in my constituency, is just the latest.

The Government is taking its time, however. It seems to have made a decision that there is no rush on this and is taking its time in consulting the Attorney General. It also seems to be assuming that families in rented accommodation do not require a certainty now, but they do. The official figure for the number of people who are homeless stands at 11,632. That includes 3,442 children. We know people leaving the private rented sector represent a sizeable cohort of those now entering homelessness. It is unconscionable, therefore, to delay the decision any longer.

Last Wednesday, 15 February, Government Deputies voted down a Labour Party motion that would have extended the eviction ban on a temporary basis through to the end of this year. This would have given the Government a longer breathing space to deliver the necessary homes. Tonight, we are telling the Government that it has a second chance in this regard. There will be another opportunity for us all to vote to extend the eviction ban. I am asking the Taoiseach if, at the eleventh hour, he will right the wrong and vote to give certainty to people facing homelessness in a matter of weeks, namely, at the end of next month.

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