Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to discuss something that is going to happen on Monday which will affect thousands of renters throughout this country. An eviction ban was put in place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Focus Ireland and other homelessness charities have said that this has contributed significantly to the decrease in the number of people in homelessness. Most of the people affected by job losses have been in industries like the food and accommodation sector. Some 42% of people aged between 25 and 35 are living in rented accommodation. Despite this, the eviction ban is due to be lifted on Monday. Yesterday, people were told they would not necessarily be able to go back to work and that we needed to postpone phase 4 of the Covid-19 restrictions. The leader of Fianna Fáil in this House has said that we are in this together and we are in it for the long haul. This is scant comfort to renters who will be subject to normal eviction procedures from Monday. The ban on rental evictions is the one thing that has provided certainty to people who live in the most insecure accommodation. It has contributed to homelessness figures falling below 10,000 for the first time in more than a year.I call on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to provide certainty to renters, either today or tomorrow, that from Monday they will not be subject to evictions. Many of them are working in the food and accommodation sector and in pubs. They were told yesterday that they will not be able to go back to work, which is reasonable and acceptable given that we are seeing the virus spreading indoors and in pubs. However, while they are told they cannot go back to work, it is unacceptable that they are told they may be subject to eviction. I call for an extension of the ban on evictions until October and probably until the end of the year and beyond until we are sure restrictions are eased and people can go back to work.