Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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513. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department conducted research to inform the Government decision not to re-introduce a ban on no fault evictions; if so, if he will make this research publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7474/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The former Government agreed on 7 March 2023 that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act.

When the former Government decided, in March 2023, not to amend the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022, enacted the previous October, a number of issues informed that decision, including reports from industry professionals on rental market trends.

In January 2023, a Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) report outlined that its agents believe that 40% of sales instructions in Q4 2022 were from landlords selling their investment property. In addition, 8 out of 10 SCSI agents believed buy-to-let second hand rental units being sold at the time would not be replaced in the rental market in the next two years. In addition, a Sherry Fitzgerald report – Irish Residential Market Review - Q4 2022, Outlook 2023 - cited that approximately 21,000 property transactions last year involved investors selling their property, with just 7,500 of those bought by investors, involving a net loss of 13,500 from the rental stock.

The Government remains focused on growing the supply of much needed rental accommodation by keeping existing landlords in the market and attracting new landlords, while ensuring strong and balanced tenancy protections for both tenants and landlords.