Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

We proposed it and it should be done everywhere. Instead of saying that we have to give these people tax breaks to stay in the market, we should tell them that if they want to leave there is no problem, the State will buy the property and we will expand our public housing. This needs to be expanded throughout the country.

I want to raise the cases of illegal eviction in this country where gardaí are doing precisely what was depicted in Spicebag's art, of which there was so much condemnation, which is standing by while families are being evicted. Look at what happened in Waterford approximately a month ago. Aaron Madigan and his fiancée Grace got a notice of termination. They contacted the Community Action Tenants Union, CATU, and Threshold. They were able to find out their actual rights as tenants regardless of the disingenuous and wrong contract supposing they were licensees. They disputed the case with the Residential Tenancies Board and they were able to say it was an illegal eviction. The correct notice period was not served and it was not a correct eviction. Men showed up to evict them and kicked down their door. They were illegally trying to break into their home. They called the gardaí, which is what people are recommended to do. The gardaí arrived, brought the men into their home and helped to facilitate the eviction. It is an absolute scandal that gardaí are being used to facilitate illegal evictions in the State. There was no statement by Drew Harris about this. There was no action to prevent this illegal eviction. It shows whose side the State is on and it is certainly not on the side of renters.

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