Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on today’s motion regarding the suspension of the scrutiny requirement for the Eviction Ban Bill 2022. I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for bringing this motion forward. I absolutely support this motion and the Bill on which it is based. It is essential that we accelerate the passage of the Eviction Ban Bill so that tenants are given proper long-term tenure security, particularly going into this winter. This Bill was passed in February, yet the Government continues to drag its heels in its attempt to stall it. I was completely against the lifting of the eviction ban in April, but with the continuous rise in homelessness numbers and the winter looming it is a particularly important time to reinstate the ban.

There is a severe lack of rentals available across the country, and particularly in rural areas. There were only 37 properties available to rent in the entire county of Donegal this morning. Of these, none are affordable for those on HAP. The reality is that households facing eviction are most likely facing homelessness. As chairman on the board of North West Simon Community, I have seen the pressure that voluntary homeless organisations are currently facing. The number of homeless people in the region is increasing significantly every year. Last year, 539 people sought support from the North West Simon Community, including 292 adults and 244 children, with 15% of the referrals coming from Donegal County Council. The organisation provided social housing to 23 households in Donegal and Leitrim and assisted 239 households in relation to homelessness or the risk of homelessness. Figures for July 2023 alone show that emergency accommodation was provided to 155 people. This is truly disgraceful. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage's Housing for All strategy has completely failed. Since he published the strategy in September 2021, homelessness in the north west region has not only increased, but has increased by a massive 80.2%. That increase of over 80% is the Government’s legacy. It will continue to be its legacy unless drastic measures are introduced in the budget in two weeks' time.

Homeless organisations are severely underfunded. Given that the Government has failed to protect its citizens from homelessness, the very least it can do is sufficiently fund the organisations that provide for them. The homeless action plan for the north-west region stated that "it was widely felt that services were overstretched and under-funded by Section 10 Homeless funding". I raised this issue this very month last year. I warned the then Tánaiste, now Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, that essential homeless services in the north west are in danger of closing. I have also warned the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, of this in multiple emails and at a meeting with his officials to which he failed to show up, despite representatives travelling from the north west for an arranged meeting with him to outline the dangerous position they were in regarding funding.

We cannot afford for any homeless service to be under threat of closing in the midst of one of the worst homeless crises ever to face the country and while homeless numbers continue to soar at the rate at which they are going. I urge the Government to commit sufficient funding to homeless services in the north west in the upcoming budget, and to engage with the services to properly target homelessness, those at risk of homelessness and hidden homelessness, which is particularly present in rural communities. We cannot be in the position next year where 244 children in the north west face homelessness again. Even more frightening is the thought of these families facing homelessness without the support of organisations that are there to help them. One thing that is for certain is that the county councils and the Government are not willing to help them. If we are serious about tackling homelessness, we need to provide households with the support they need during this crisis, which includes passing People Before Profit-Solidarity's Eviction Ban Bill. The reality is that they need a secure roof over their heads in the first instance. Reducing the number of families facing homelessness in the first place should be our priority and that of the Government. Unfortunately, it is not. That is the reality of the situation. The Government's priority is providing money for private landlords and private developers. That is the only thing it is actually willing to do.

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