Tánaiste says indefinite eviction ban would make matters worse amid increase in homeless numbers

A CORK TD has called for the immediate reinstatement of the eviction ban amid a rise in homeless numbers, but the Tánaiste has said that while the increase is concerning, an indefinite eviction ban would make matters worse.

According to the Monthly Homelessness Report for June 2023, published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on Friday, 12,600 people were accessing local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of June 19-25.

The figure is an increase of 159 from May, when there were 12,441 people living in emergency accommodation.

A total of 570 adults accessed local authority-managed emergency accommodation in the southwest region during the week of June 19-25, of whom 532 were accessing accommodation managed by Cork City Council and Cork County Council.

There were 97 families in emergency accommodation in Cork and Kerry at the end of June, compared to 93 at the end of May.

Commenting on the latest figures, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central Thomas Gould said he believes the increases are a “direct result of the government’s refusal to extend the eviction ban and failure to deliver sufficient homes for people”.

“This is traumatising for children – this government are allowing a generation to grow up in a time where homelessness is normalised and secure housing is becoming a rarity. That is scandalous.

“Each of these figures represents families or individuals who have been failed by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party,” he continued, calling on the Government to reinstate the ban on evictions and to freeze rents for three years.

Tánaiste's Response

However, speaking at an event in Cork today, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that while the Government is “very concerned” about a rise in homeless figures, an indefinite eviction ban would make matters worse.

“If it was this position that you had an indefinite eviction ban, then more people would have left the market and more people would continue to leave the market.

“What the rental market needs now is a degree of certainty and clarity into the future and in the forthcoming budget we hope to provide that.

“But also supply - supply is the key,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil leader was speaking today after he turned the sod on a €9m infrastructure project in Ballyvolane which will pave the way for 753 new homes.

“There have been some very big projects announced," he said. 

“Recently the Government announced a huge project in Dublin, for example… likewise in respect of this project here.

“If you look at the figures from the beginning of the year - for quarter one and quarter two - there are a very accelerated number of commencements in the private side and the social housing is going very strongly, which takes pressure off the private sector as well.

“Again, as I say, on top of that, we will see what more we can do,” he concluded.