Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to address a few of the amendments. To respond to the Senator's comments, what would we call it if it was not called eviction? Would we call it "putting people out"? Changing the name would not mean it is not happening, unless it is stopped - full stop.

Amendment No. 8 removes all but the more serious grounds for eviction. Under the current provisions, a tenant could be evicted for painting a wall or for doing something in a house that was not approved by the landlord. A landlord could look for any old excuse to evict people. The amendment would deal with that and tenants could only be evicted if they commit criminal damage to the home.

Senator Warfield and I will call a vote on amendment No. 9 if it is not accepted. Given that so many people are living in emergency accommodation, we know that in many cases people have to couch-surf with friends. Travellers in Cork and Kerry have done a lot of work on this. We know the figures. Thousands of Travellers and people from other marginalised communities are couch-surfing. We must protect those people and amendment No. 9 seeks to do this.

Overcrowding and couch-surfing are not the answer either, as we all know. It is important for quality of life that people do not do that but with the housing emergency, it happens. We are genuinely not living in the real world if we think people do not have other people staying in their houses. I was working with two men from Ballyfermot recently who were being evicted. One was a member of the Traveller community. They have nowhere to go and no protection. They are just being put out by their landlord. These two men are now couch-surfing. We must look after these people and amendment No. 9 seeks to do this.

Amendments Nos. 10 and 11 seek to ensure that no landlord can use pre-existing problems to evict people. I have already given the example of a tenant who paints a wall.

We need to keep reminding ourselves that this is emergency legislation. We are not saying that amendment No. 12 would apply to everybody but it also seeks to protect people. The Civil Engagement Group looked at these amendments through the lens of human rights and equality and with NGOs and other organisations. I will keep going back to this point. This amendments are not the voices of Senators Eileen Flynn, Lynn Ruane, Alice-Mary Higgins and Frances Black.These amendments are the voices of the people, like all our amendments. The Government should accept the amendments we put forward not for us personally but for people.