Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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122. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is planning to extend the moratorium on certain evictions after 31 March 2023; what other measures will he put in place to stop the flow of people into homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3648/23]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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148. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider an extension of the eviction ban given the high levels of homelessness and the lack of availability of affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3578/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 148 together.

The aim of the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 is to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homelessness services and the pressure on tenants and the residential tenancies market. To assist in managing demands on housing services after the winter period and ensure that there is no cliff edge impact on 1 April, the Deferment Act provides for deferred Notices of Termination to take effect on a phased basis over the period from 1 April to 18 June 2023.

As a further emergency measure, I have also written to local authority Chief Executives, informing them of my decision to continue the delegated sanction, to purchase homes where the tenant is at risk of homelessness, for the duration of the emergency period and up to the end of the transition period in June 2023.

Ultimately of course, increased supply across all tenures is key to eradicating homelessness. Housing supply is increasing under Housing for All.

There is a strong pipeline, with 40,030 dwellings granted planning permission in the 12 months to the end of September 2022. 27,773 new homes were completed in the twelve months to end September 2022 - greater than the total for 2021 or any full year since the CSO completions series began. There were 26,957 units commenced in the year to end December 2022 and we are on track to exceed the Housing for All target of 24,600 new build homes in 2022.

Record State investment of €4.5bn will be made available in 2023 to support the largest State home building programme ever, with 9,100 direct build social homes and 5,500 affordable homes.

The Act has been carefully calibrated to limit its interference with landlords’ constitutional property rights. Further information on the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates for Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 is contained on the website of the Residential Tenancies Board - www.rtb.ie.

The Government recognises and appreciates the key role of landlords in providing much needed accommodation and the pressures on some landlords on foot of the cost of living crisis. Landlords are essential to a fully functioning residential property market. The Government is committed to supporting the continued participation of landlords and growing their investment in the rental market. It has also been necessary in recent and uncertain times to strengthen tenancy protections for tenants including for reasons of supply and affordability in the sector. The Government has sought to balance the interests and tenancy rights of both landlords and tenants under the Act.

There are no proposals to bring further legislative proposals forward at the moment in relation to the operation of the rental market while it should be noted that the operation of the rental market and the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 are kept under constant review. In this regard, my Department has commenced work on an overall review of the private rented sector as committed to under the review of Housing for All published last November.