Mattie McGrath demands urgent fixes to housing rules
Mattie McGrath challenged the minister on housing measures, urging an extension of provisions that allow commercial properties to be used for housing without planning and pressing for support for small landlords. He called for action on backyard developments and mobile homes, citing a constituent, Sean Meehan, and warned that a ban on holiday lets will worsen conditions for small-property owners.
He asked whether the minister will extend the situation where commercial properties can be used for housing without planning. He described that extension as crucial and urged it to be in place by the year end.
He said back developments are not included in the plan and raised the case of a man living in a mobile home, Sean Meehan outside of Clown Mill in Tipperary, who was brought to the courts after putting up a timber house around a mobile home. He said Sean Meehan needs to be looked after and that there are many similar cases who require a resolution.
He pressed for meaningful measures for the small people he described as 'accidental' landlords who own a second or third property, saying they are being crucified with no rights or support. He warned that banning small houses and holiday lets will make matters worse and called for easier processes and protections for these owners.
He argued that too much power has been given to bad tenants and said landlords must be able to remove non-compliant tenants while protecting good tenants. He repeated the call for the extension by the year end and noted the urgency of dealing with cases like Sean Meehan, who faces court again in January.
Extension of commercial-to-housing rule
He asked whether the minister will extend the situation where commercial properties can be used for housing without planning. He described that extension as crucial and urged it to be in place by the year end.
Backyard developments and mobile homes
He said back developments are not included in the plan and raised the case of a man living in a mobile home, Sean Meehan outside of Clown Mill in Tipperary, who was brought to the courts after putting up a timber house around a mobile home. He said Sean Meehan needs to be looked after and that there are many similar cases who require a resolution.
Support for small and accidental landlords
He pressed for meaningful measures for the small people he described as 'accidental' landlords who own a second or third property, saying they are being crucified with no rights or support. He warned that banning small houses and holiday lets will make matters worse and called for easier processes and protections for these owners.
Tenancy enforcement and timetable
He argued that too much power has been given to bad tenants and said landlords must be able to remove non-compliant tenants while protecting good tenants. He repeated the call for the extension by the year end and noted the urgency of dealing with cases like Sean Meehan, who faces court again in January.
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Transcript
I welcome the proactivity of both Minister Brown and he is due to the Minister of Port Laurier. I want to ask a few questions. One is, Minister, are you going to extend the situation where commercial properties can be used for housing without planning, which is so important? I want to also ask you, Minister, are you going to do something about the back yard – it is not in this plan at all, the back developments are behind houses – and in case a man houses himself in a mobile home, like I have Sean Meehan outside of Clown Mill in Tipperary, and he has been brought to the courts for putting up a nice timber house around a mobile home, he needs to be looked after, and people like him, there are thousands of Sean Meehans there, so we need to deal with that. We also need to do something meaningful, Minister, regarding the small – I won't even call them landlords, the small people, maybe it might be an accidental landlord, who has a second or third property, they are being crucified, they have no rights whatsoever, they are getting no support, you need to make it easy for them, especially now with the onset of you are going to ban the small houses, the holiday lits, so I mean you are going to make the situation worse, so small landlords need to be supported, and I hate calling them that once, because they are not, the big ones are very different, but we are giving too much say to bad tenants, and I love good tenants, and we all like good people who pay it their way, but you bad tenants, you must be able to remove them from a house, but I am asking you, those things, that extension of that is crucial, by the year end, the Commissioner to residential without having to go for planning, and to deal with situations like Sean Meehan, who so badly needs to have his situation rectified, he is before the course again in January, and there are many more like him, it is not good enough.