Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I seek a debate on the regulation of people who are living in hotel accommodation. On what grounds can residents be evicted? I know of many people in hotels who have been there for more than five years, moving from one hotel to another. I now work with a woman who with her four children was evicted from a hotel. It is appalling given that people go in to seek safe accommodation. Obviously rules are rules but the reality is that these hoteliers are making profit from people. Basically whatever rule breaking there is, if a person steps outside that box they are evicted with four children onto the street with nowhere to go. That person then was moved with four children to another accommodation where there was drug use and social activities going on in the place where she and her four children were placed. There are many conversations to be had on how to keep women and children safe in hotels so that it is sustainable. However, in my opinion hotels are no way to house people. Of course it is a short-term solution for a homeless person and for homeless children. That is something we really need to have a conversation about.

I also welcome Senators to Ballyfermot this evening, if they have time, at 5 p.m. We are having a celebration of different nationalities within our Ballyfermot community. Even though I live in Donegal, the site, Labre Park, in which I was born and reared, is also my community. That is at 5 p.m. There will be more than 100 different flags to mark the different nationalities within our community. At 6.30 p.m. Senator Ardagh and I will go to Drimnagh for a candlelight session against racism. On St. Valentine's day it is brilliant to see all the love in Leinster House today and people sharing love, not hate comments on the Internet.