‘Nobody who pays their rent on time should live in constant fear of homelessness,’ says O’Callaghan

Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan says he will today introduce his Tenancy Protection Bill 2023, which aims to put a stop to mass evictions.

“My Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 is about protecting people from mass evictions,” said Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s Housing spokesperson.

“There are a several mass evictions ongoing, including Tathony House in Dublin 8 and Rathmines Road. This is causing huge stress to those facing into an eviction.

“We need to fundamentally change how we treat renters by ensuring that real security of tenure is guaranteed.

“Nobody who pays their rent on time should live in constant fear of homelessness.

“In 2016, 40 households in Tyrrelstown in west Dublin were simultaneously given notices of termination.

“The Tyrrelstown amendment was passed to prevent the eviction of 10 or more households at any one time.

“However, due to major flaws in the amendment, notices of termination continue to be received by the residents of several apartment complexes.

“Landlords can take advantage of a gaping loophole in the amendment if they argue that selling a property without evicting the renters would reduce the value of the sale by 20 percent. By claiming this would cause them ‘undue hardship’ or be ‘unduly onerous’, they can still carry out mass evictions.

“This is a golden ticket for landlords who want to cash in on soaring property prices at the expense of their tenants. My Bill will put a stop to this practice.”