Laois renters 'terrified' by eviction threat

Renters in Laois are at their 'wit's end' and 'terrified' as doubt increases over the Government's intentions on the evictions ban.

That's according to the Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley who has told the Minister for Housing in the Dáil this week that the eviction ban must be extended until December 2023.

He was speaking in the Dáil where he outlined what he has heard on the ground in his Laois Offaly constituency.

“The eviction ban ends at the end of next month. I am extremely concerned about the number of families and individual renters who are facing the prospect of homelessness through eviction if the ban is not extended. Renters have come into my office in the past week. They are at their wits' end and absolutely terrified. I cannot express this clearly enough. They are terrified of what is ahead of them. They need security of tenure," he said.

The TD also highlighted housing shortages in the midlands.

"A total of 153 adults and 67 children are in emergency accommodation provided by local authorities. In Laois, for example, such people can be sent 50, 60 or 70 miles from home. If the ban is not extended, we expect to see that figure increase substantially. Those figures do not include those who are sleeping on couches, couples who have been forced to move back home with their parents and young families in unsuitable and overcrowded situations.

"The latest Daft.ie figures from last week show the average tenancy rate in Laois has increased to €1,292 per month. Most of those are one- and two-bedroom accommodations. That is an increase of 12.8% from last year. In Offaly, it is up to €1,302, which is a rise of 15.6%. People simply cannot afford to pay those rack-rents,’’ he said.

Dep Stanley said that when the current ban was introduced in November 2022, the Government was warned that it needed to introduce a series of emergency measures, including increasing and accelerating the delivery of social housing.

He said the Minister stated at that time that the intention of the ban was to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homeless services.

"Unfortunately, the supply has still not been delivered and many renters now face the prospect of homelessness from the end of next month. Sinn Féin is, therefore, tabling this proposal to call on the Government to extend the emergency ban, and we accept it is an emergency measure, until the end of the year,’’ he said.

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“It is crystal clear to Sinn Féin that we are in a housing emergency and the Government has lost control. We are putting forward a package of solutions to relieve the pressure, increase supply and protect renters. We need to see delivery of 20,000 affordable and social houses each year for the next five years. That is the minimum required," he said.