Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support this Bill to extend the eviction ban. However, this is anything but straightforward and, sometimes in this House, we have to vote for the lesser of two evils. Landlords should not be put in the position where they have to take at least part responsibility for dealing with the housing crisis. On the other hand, we know 4,700 evictions notices have been served and many of those tenants will struggle to find any accommodation and some will be homeless. Why can I say that? I can say that because 17 local authorities have said they have no emergency accommodation while six have said they have very limited emergency accommodation. This leaves just three local authorities with any reasonable amount of emergency accommodation. According to daft.ie, this evening there are now just 15 places to let in Sligo, which is six fewer than were available a week ago. In Donegal, the number is 57, which is the same as last week, while the number in Roscommon is 12, which is one less than a week ago. There is one place to rent in Leitrim, three fewer than this time last week.

Like every other Deputy in this House, constituents have been calling my office. One lady who contacted me has two autistic children. She has to leave her home in April. Where is she going to go? Even if she is one of the really lucky ones to get into emergency accommodation, how are her children going to attend their special classes? We know how important that is. In case anybody thinks this is a problem for other people - people out there - I know somebody working in this building who will be homeless from 11 April. Despite months and months of searching for rental accommodation, this person has to leave Dublin. That shows homelessness can happen to anybody.

However, the issue is not black and white and I believe some amendments are necessary. I support what Deputy McNamara said. I also believe that an extension to the eviction ban is needed because the Government needs time so that we are not in the same position again with a winter eviction at the end of next January. However, I also believe we need to support landlords because tens of thousands of them are leaving the market. They are leaving because of the tax situation and the burden of regulation. We proposed a tax rate of 25% for small landlords. The RTB needs a serious revamp. It is slow and bureaucratic and needs further significant resources. Most landlords simply cannot take the hassle anymore and are getting out.

We also need an amendment whereby if a landlord or a member of his or her family who lives with him or her needs to acquire the rental property to live in, that flexibility is there. I support Deputy McNamara's amendment on flexibility within the Planning and Development Act. We already have it in place for the provision of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. We need to put it in place for everybody.

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