Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have just had an intense and emotional debate on a Sinn Féin Private Members' motion that called for an extension of the eviction ban to protect tenants and ensure they will have somewhere to live during this housing and rental crisis. There is no doubt there is great fear among renters at the moment. Many feel vulnerable and deeply distressed that when the ban is lifted at the end of the month, they may face the prospect of being made homeless. Despite the Government's claims, sufficient social and affordable housing is not being built. There is also no proper targeting of the huge number of vacant properties with a view to making them habitable and going some way towards relieving the stresses of the demand for housing. The Government needs to look at every available option to ensure it will maximise the number of properties available for those looking to be housed.

Part of this process is an urgent requirement for the Government to encourage local authorities to boost the tenant in situ scheme, which encourages local authorities to buy properties that have been put up for sale by the landlord where an existing tenant is in receipt of State support such as the housing assistance payment, HAP, or the rent supplement or is on the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. These schemes are important in helping prevent State-supported tenants from being evicted into homelessness. A recent report in The Irish Timesshowed there has been a shockingly low uptake of the tenant in situscheme and that only a fraction of the target of 1,500 properties have been purchased. It is scandalous that, in this housing crisis, local authorities are not using a mechanism that can keep tenants in place, prevent vulnerable tenants from being evicted and eliminate the stress and fear for a family facing the prospect of being made homeless. In the past year, local authorities have bought fewer than 370 properties in tenant in situarrangements. Fingal County Council, it should be noted, has bought none. The report in The Irish Timesshowed that even though more than 400 properties had been offered to the local authorities in Dublin, no more than 13 homes were purchased under the scheme between the four councils. Figures from other local authorities show a similarly low trend of uptake of such purchases. I understand that local authorities face certain challenges with the scheme. The goal of the scheme, however, is to prevent families from entering into homelessness, and this far outweighs any challenges the local authorities face when implementing it.

Part of that challenge relates to where a tenant is renting in local authority but is on the housing list of a neighbouring authority. In the current distressed housing and rental markets, it should be obvious that a tenant who is receiving HAP from the neighbouring authority should be allowed to remain in situif the local authority in the area where he or she is renting purchases the property. It makes perfect sense for this to happen. Local authorities need to be imaginative and flexible in their approach to such matters. By thinking outside the box, they can help make a dent in the housing and rental crisis. The Minister of State needs to keep the pressure on local authorities and be more proactive in implementing the tenant in situscheme.

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