Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here for this matter. I wish to raise two specific issues with him. In the interest of brevity and clarity, because I tabled a parliamentary question on this very recently, I know exactly how many homes are purchased, how many are in train to purchase and exactly what is going on formally. I wish to bring to his attention what is actually happening to some of the families in my constituency.

I am currently working without about ten people who are at immediate risk of homelessness and who, for various reasons, are trying to get into the tenant in situ scheme or have recently been let down. One of these people was evicted three or four weeks ago and she and her four children are in one bedroom in Ballyfermot. She was originally from north County Dublin and she is now with her children in one bedroom with bunk beds in Ballyfermot. The tenant in situ scheme failed that woman and failed the landlord, whose patience and money ran out during that process. It was not a good experience. I have other people who are currently overholding and they are very worried.

I will read out an email sent to one of my constituents in March. It states:

Fingal County Council are not in a position to assess your tenant in situ application at this point because we are currently prioritising applicants who are at immediate risk of homelessness. I note your termination date is for July, which provides adequate time for you to source alternative accommodation through the HAP scheme.

Where are they getting that information? There are no HAP houses in my area. I do not know if there are any in the Minister of State’s area but there are definitely none in mine. It continues:

If you are not already a recipient of HAP, please contact [blah] ... Should you fail to secure alternative accommodation within eight of weeks or your termination date, please email NTQEnquries@fingal.ie and we can advise of your available options.

It is telling her she has to wait until eight weeks before she is homeless. Has the Minister of State ever bought or sold a house? Does he know anyone who has ever bought or sold a house in eight weeks? I do not. It is not possible. Even in a case where nobody is contesting it and nobody is in a chain, it is not possible. The council is leaving it until the last possible moment with this woman. It is telling her to wait until she is eight weeks out. It is basically telling her to wait until there is absolutely nothing that it will be able to do. The landlord is selling for a valid reason and he wants to sell to the council. The house is an area where it has previously bought, so there should not be an issue.

I will read correspondence from a landlord:

I am a landlord in Swords. I have been renting a house to a family – two parents and three kids – since 2017. My financial situation has changed and I have to sell the house. Their kids are the local primary school less than 100 m up the road.

He applied to the tenant in situ scheme last year. This was completed in November 2023. The eviction notice was dated 20 April 2024. The house was assessed. Just two days ago, he learned the following from Fingal County Council:

Following a full review of your property, including the building survey, we have decided not to proceed with the acquisition of this property. This decision was made taking into account issues identified with the building survey and the necessary works and repairs that would be required to the property.

He says he is open to discussion to keep the family in the house. He has asked Fingal County Council what the issues are in order that he can rectify them and work with the council to prevent two adults and three children becoming homeless because he is aware of the situation. However, he is being told that the information cannot be released because the report is commercially sensitive. He told me that he was trying to help this family not to become another statistic for homelessness but that he also could not afford to keep that house.

I understand what the headline figures say. However, in real life, ten families are about to be made homeless, and one already has been. This can be added to the list. Can I get some information about what guidance has issued from the Department? It does not seem to happen in other areas but why will they not release reports when landlords are willing to work with them?

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