Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Deputies who have contributed to this important discussion. I want to respond to something the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, said when he was articulating Government policy. He said the Government's position is that a reinstatement of the winter eviction ban would not work because it would deter investment in the rental sector and supply. We are not looking for reinstatement of the winter eviction ban. We are looking for the situation that applies in most European countries, where renters who pay their rent cannot be evicted from their home. That is the norm.

Does the Government really believe that there is some sort of Irish exceptionalism, where other European countries are able to have rental sectors where renters who pay their rent cannot be evicted from their home, but something about Ireland means that will not work here? What is it about Ireland that means it will not work? Why are the conditions of investment in Ireland so different from those of any other European country? How is it that the countries in Europe with the largest rental sectors, much bigger than the sector in Ireland, including Switzerland and Germany, have investment in their rental sectors, yet have much better protections for renters? How is it that in Switzerland people who pay their rent cannot be evicted from their homes? Is the Government saying that investors in Ireland will not invest in a humane rental system like they do in other European countries? Is that the position of the Government? Why is it saying that about investment in Ireland? Why does investment in the housing and rental system in Ireland have to be inhumane and lead to record levels of homelessness?

Has the Government really thought through the position it is articulating? It makes no sense. All around Europe, there is investment in housing and the rental sector. There are larger rental sectors, yet renters who pay their rent are not evicted from their homes. Why is it so hard for the Irish Government and Ministers to understand that? If they did understand that, it would make a massive difference in people's lives.

The Government has come in and congratulated itself on its record on housing. More than 500,000 people in their 20s, 30s and into their 40s are living in their childhood bedrooms and there are record levels of homelessness, yet the Government seeks to congratulate itself on its housing record. Does the Government see the humans behind these figures? I am not accusing it of being heartless or completely indifferent. I am asking if it actually sees the humans behind these figures because I do not think it does. If it did, it would do the logical thing of bringing in normal protections for renters, which are in place in most other European countries.

One of the most important points made in this discussion was by my colleague, Deputy Catherine Murphy, when she said that this evening we have seen the Government, as we have seen the Taoiseach do as well, defend record homeless numbers and say it is okay because many people who are homeless are only homeless for less than 12 months and not everyone who is homeless remains homeless for years. It is disturbing that people are in homelessness for years. To dismiss homelessness, including homelessness among children, as being for only three, six or nine months in some circumstances, and to say that it therefore does not really seem to matter without realising the deep damage and trauma that being homeless for any period of time can cause people, especially children, really misses the impact of homelessness. I ask the Minister of State and Taoiseach to reflect on that and on this normalisation process, whereby they say homelessness is okay because it is only for a matter of months for some people.

At the last election, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage promised 10,000 affordable homes a year. That is 50,000 affordable homes from this Government. It has delivered 323. The Minister will not even tell us what the numbers are for this year because the Government is clearly not meeting the targets. Some 323 out of 50,000 promised is the record of this Government on affordable homes.

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