Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I rise for the last time this year. I wish everybody a happy Christmas. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for all his work. I thank the staff here in the Oireachtas who I am sure will be relieved to see the back of us for just a short while.

Life in Ireland is hard for renters. Research published this morning by the Residential Tenancies Board cites affordability and insecurity of tenure among their top concerns, while a new survey conducted by EPAM reveals that 60% of young adults cannot meet their living expenses. They are living from pay cheque to pay cheque. Against this backdrop of insecurity, the homelessness crisis has never been worse. More than 4,000 children will wake up on Christmas morning in a hub, a hostel, or a bed and breakfast.

For many of these children, it will be their third or even fourth visit from Santa in emergency accommodation. No child or family should spend Christmas this way. Each child deserves a place they call home. Sinn Féin’s Bill to be voted on in the Dáil tonight would reintroduce the Government’s ban on no-fault evictions immediately, with the reintroduced ban lasting until the end of March. It would protect workers and families from being evicted when they have done nothing wrong. I remind the Taoiseach that more than 80% of eviction notices are issued to people and families who have done nothing wrong, who have paid their rent and who have looked after their homes, but still got the devastating news that they are to be evicted. Let me share the stories of some of these families.

Lily and her five-year-old daughter face eviction from their home on New Year’s Day. This little girl goes on Christmas holidays from school next week not knowing if she will be back with her class in January or where she will be living.

Barry, Eimear and their new baby face eviction. Eimear says the experience has taken a serious toll on their mental health and has left Barry, who is a hard-working, committed front-line worker, feeling defeated as a father. They feel betrayed as working, tax-paying citizens.

Louise and her four children have lived in their rented home for over ten years. Louise has been served with an eviction notice for January. Her landlord is willing to sell the house to the council, but Louise is currently not being considered for the tenant in situscheme. She and her children face losing what has been their home for a decade.

Damien and Amy are a young couple expecting their first child. They too have been served with an eviction notice. They have desperately searched for alternative rented accommodation but to no avail. They now face the prospect of being homeless at Christmas. They say they feel angry, broken and terrified. Damien and Amy say they will have no choice but to sleep in their car.

These harrowing stories are replicated across the country. Ní mór don Rialtas an cosc sealadach ar díbirt gan locht a chur ar ais le chinntiú nach féidir le oibrithe agus teaghlaigh a bheith caite amach nuair nach bhfuil aon rud mícheart déanta acu, agus le stop a chur le níos mó páistí a bheith gan dídean an Nollaig seo.

Tonight, every TD has the chance to vote to protect these families that are faced with eviction. I ask everyone to do so. This is something that should unite us. However, the Government has set its face against reinstating the temporary ban on eviction for these families. I ask the Taoiseach very simply to change his mind. I ask him to act this evening to prevent more children becoming homeless this Christmas.

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