Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not understand what the Minister of State does not get about amendments Nos. 10 and 11. They are so simple. As an example, if I live in rented accommodation and paint the walls after the landlord agrees that I can do that, the landlord could later use that as an excuse, even if it came out of my pocket, and say he or she never gave me permission to paint the walls. That is only an example but I could be evicted for that. Amendments Nos. 10 and 11 seek to protect renters such that they cannot be evicted for, say, painting the walls, for which they had permission, just because the landlord does not want them in the house anymore. God help the poor landlords; they are really getting such a hard auld kicking with this ban.

This applies to the most vulnerable people in particular, such as members of the Travelling community, Roma people, Black people and other people of colour and single parents - the list goes on and on with any excuse to evict them. In one sense I am delighted I live in the real world, with the communities who are impacted most by this. It might have come to the landlord's attention that the tenants are members of the Travelling community or that they are a single parent and they might be evicted on those grounds, but the landlord might blame the eviction on something the tenant did the previous year.

I encourage the Minister of State to reconsider amendments Nos. 10 and 11 and accept them.