Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan Pauline Tully has criticised local government TDs for their ‘shameful’ decision to end the eviction ban.
The government decided to end the ban, which had been protecting people from ‘no fault’ evictions which could plunge them into homelessness in a matter of weeks.
Speaking today, Teachta Tully said:
“The government’s decision to end the eviction ban is shameful and will plunge people into homelessness in Cavan-Monaghan.
“The housing crisis is devastating lives across Cavan-Monaghan as people cannot afford sky high rents or find suitable accommodation because of this government’s failure to get to grips with the crisis.
“Government TDs in Cavan-Monaghan must come forward and explain to people in Cavan-Monaghan why they have backed ending the eviction ban. They need to be upfront with people about this shocking decision.
“From April, people across Cavan-Monaghan will face the prospect of losing their home because of this disgraceful decision. This includes single people, couples, parents with children and pensioners who have been badly let down by this government and deserve better.
“The government had a choice. When the emergency ban on evictions was introduced last October, Sinn Féin urged the government that it wasn’t a solution but a temporary opportunity for the breathing space in order to take emergency action needed. We urged them to expand the tenant in situ scheme, to extend it to affordable cost rental, to use emergency planning and procurement powers, to target vacant and derelict properties and new building technologies, to increase and accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes.
“Shockingly, the government ignored these solutions and instead ended the ban without addressing these issues.
“It is clear that the housing market in Cavan-Monaghan is totally unfit for purpose and ordinary people are left to pay the price. Year after year, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have missed their own inadequate public housing targets. The result is clear to see in Cavan-Monaghan as we have generations locked out of home ownership, crippled by sky high rents, languishing on social housing waiting lists and being forced to emigrate.
“The housing crisis is causing misery for so many people in Cavan-Monaghan. These government TDs must explain why they are continuing to ignore the solutions and fail to tackle the housing crisis.
“Sinn Féin in government would tackle the housing crisis to make sure that action is taken to deliver the change needed. Sinn Féin has the detailed, deliverable proposals to get to grips with the housing crisis and deliver genuinely affordable homes for people in Cavan-Monaghan.”
