Eviction ban: 53% disagree with Government, 47% agree, poll finds

James Cox

The lifting of the eviction ban on April 1st has split the Irish public, according to an opinion poll.

A new poll from tax specialists Taxback has found 53 per cent of people surveyed disagree with the Government's decision not to extend the ban, however, 47 per cent support them lifting it.

The poll surveyed almost 2,000 taxpayers across the country.

One in five (20 per cent) taxpayers responding to the survey said they believe that the ban should never have been introduced.

Interestingly though, a similar number (22 per cent) said they’d like to see evictions banned altogether.

The eviction ban, which covered “the winter emergency period” protected tenants from being evicted from private rental accommodation during the winter months, even if their landlord had issued them with a notice of termination.

The ban itself did not prevent tenants from being evicted, rather it deferred the notice of termination period.

The survey also revealed that of those respondents who rent their home, 74 per cent say they worry about how they will afford their monthly repayments to varying degrees, with affordability being a constant source of worry for 42 per cent of these.

Whether or not this issue could trigger a general election remains to be seen.

Marian Ryan, consumer tax manager of Taxback, said: “The lifting of the eviction ban is certainly one of the most contentious issues to dominate public discourse yet this year. Both sides have put forward strong arguments. The end of the ban could give rise to a large volume of people scrambling to find a roof over their heads, including certain vulnerable groups who could be at serious risk of homelessness given the extreme shortage of rental properties on the market.

"On the other hand, the Government would argue the sustainability of a functioning rental market is heavily predicated on the ban being lifted.

What the results of this survey really reinforce is that it will be difficult for the Government to make a move that will appease both sides. Whether or not this issue could trigger a general election remains to be seen.”

Meanwhile, support for Sinn Féin has jumped while Fine Gael has seen its poll numbers drop to an all-time low, another new poll has revealed.

The Behaviour & Attitudes poll published in The Sunday Times shows support for Fine Gael has dropped by eight points to 15 per cent, while Sinn Féin has surged five points to 37 per cent.