Local tenants ‘in dire trouble’ as eviction ban due to end

Confirmation from the Government that the eviction ban will not be extended when it expires at the end of the month has left families in “serious, serious trouble,” according to a Sinn Fein TD.

Dublin North-West TD Dessie Ellis told Northside People that at least seven people have contacted him expressing concern that they may be evicted when the ban elapses.

“I had five people come to me in dire trouble on Friday,” he said last week.

“So far today I’ve had two people come into the office saying that they are facing eviction.

“There has been no plan put in place by the Government and now the warning shots have been fired,” Deputy Ellis says.

“This is a really serious issue and it appears that we are already in the height of it.”

Deputy Ellis says upcoming evictions are “getting to the point of dominating” local representatives focus as renters are being issued with notices to quit.

“We have currently 12,000 homeless people in Ireland and this is only going to spiral and get worse,” he says.

“I can see that this is definitely going to get worse before it gets better.”

Last week, a group of Sinn Fein and Independent councillors walked out of the monthly Fingal County Council meeting after Mayor of Fingal, councillor Howard Mahony twice refused to allow a motion criticising the Government’s decision to not extend the eviction ban be tabled.

Councillors Angela Donnelly, Breda Hanaphy, Ann Graves, Natalie Treacy, Dean Mulligan, and Tania Doyle left the chamber when Mahony refused to allow the motion be tabled for a second time after it was amended during the meeting.

The motion read: “To address the catastrophic impact on the residents of Fingal – This Council condemns the Government’s decision to end the eviction ban and calls on the Minister to extend the ban on evictions until the end of the year.”

Fianna Fail councillor Mahony said that the motion did not meet the criteria to qualify as an emergency motion.

“It is not in order, it is as simple as that, so we will be moving on,” he said at the beginning of the meeting.

Mahony said he did “not have to explain” as to why the motion did not meet the criteria.

Later in the meeting, during the Chief Executive’s Report which discussed housing and tenants receiving notices to quit, Mahony again said that the amended motion also did not meet the criteria.

He was queried by Sinn Fein councillor Ann Graves.

“You motion is out of order,” Mahony said.

“It has noting to do with the chief executive’s report.

“The core of the motion is about the ban and at no stage does the chief executive mention the eviction ban in the report.

“I won’t argue.”

Graves said she didn’t see how the Mayor could not see the eviction ban “as an emergency.”

“Are you telling me that the Mayor does not see the eviction ban as an emergency?” she asked.

Mahony said he would “not allow the motion and we are moving on.”

The group of councillors then left the meeting.

Councillor Angela Donnelly said that “there is a tsunami of evictions heading towards us at the moment.

“The decision to lift the ban is nothing short of shameful.”