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

We can disagree about the name of the package of measures the Government announced yesterday. However, I would like us to at least be able to agree that those in rental accommodation should be given some clarity about when the announcement will be made regarding whether the eviction ban will be extended. Will it happen before the St. Patrick's Day recess, for example? People deserve to know this.

This is not just a call coming from the Opposition. We saw The Sunday Business Postreporting warnings from Grant Thornton that the housing crisis risks economic growth. IBEC has been saying the same thing for years. The assertion that internal targets are too low is coming from within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There is no left-wing conspiracy here. The housing horrors are real. To borrow a phrase, the call to extend the eviction ban is coming from inside the house and it must be listened to. Tá sé thar am don Taoiseach, cosc a chur ar díshealbhú. Tá sé ag teastáil anois. As they say, “Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin". We need to see urgent action by the Government on housing for all the families and households currently facing this cliff edge of an eviction notice that will take effect after the end of March.

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