Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the People Before Profit-Solidarity Deputies for bringing forward the motion. As we head into the winter, many more families and workers will face a winter of unbelievable stress. Many thousands fear the letter from the landlord and the knowledge that the chance of them getting somewhere in the so-called free market is virtually impossible. I, like many colleagues and, I am sure, the Minister of State's office, get representations from people on a weekly basis who are desperate to find out what the next steps are. What do they do? How can we help them to ensure they do not end up in homeless accommodation?

I heard recently of an older retired person living with her daughter in rented accommodation whose landlord is selling. She has never been on the housing list and has always rented. Her notice of termination is due to fall on 31 December. Due to health reasons, they cannot move down to the country as they need to be close to the hospital they attend. I am sure cases like these play on the Minister of State's mind; they certainly play on ours. We are constantly concerned and worried about these people who are facing homelessness. People who are overholding are terrified the day is soon coming when they will face homeless accommodation. So many people are now overholding who will be working through the RTB process.

I could reel off case after case, as could the Minister of State, which is why I find the resistance to the eviction ban puzzling. It is clear from the statistics that this Government has lost control of the homelessness crisis as levels of homelessness continue to rise. The statistics pointed out by Deputy Ó Broin are shocking. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said last year, "the aim of the emergency winter eviction ban is to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homelessness services and the pressure on tenants and the residential tenancies market." The reality is, and the figures prove, that homeless services are still overburdened, housing supply has not increased, and the cliff edge facing many of these tenants is adding huge pressure.

We support the reintroduction of the ban on no-fault evictions as part of an emergency response to reduce the number of people in emergency accommodation who are falling into homelessness. Next week, Deputy Ó Broin will once again outline our ambitious plans for commencing the largest public housing building programme in the history of the State, which will deliver 20,000 public homes a year. We also want to give renters a break by including a three-year freeze on rent increases and putting one month's rent back in every private renter's pocket up to a maximum of €2,000 a year.

At this stage, even the Minister of State cannot believe the Government's housing strategy is working. It is time for a change. Many of the people - we see regular polling - and those I speak to in Dublin West also believe it is time for a change of government. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil policies over the decades have caused this housing crisis. The longer they are in power, and the proof is in the pudding and the statistics, the worse it will get.

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