Rory Hearne Confronts Minister on Evictions and Tenant Protections
Rory Hearne challenged the minister in the Dáil over rising evictions and homelessness, accusing the government of failing to protect existing tenants and alleging mistruths about new tenant safeguards. He called for a ban on no-fault evictions for existing tenants and insisted the minister’s measures leave people exposed to being evicted onto the streets.
Accusation and exchange: Rory Hearne confronted the minister directly, saying Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have presided over rising evictions and homelessness. He told the house that recent measures do not protect existing tenants and demanded the record be corrected, prompting a brief withdrawal and a sharp exchange in the chamber.
Policy clash and context: The minister responded by pointing to a 20 percent increase in housing delivery and record social house construction, arguing an eviction ban would kill supply and worsen shortages. Hearne pushed back, framing the debate around the immediate protection of households facing eviction and the wider housing crisis facing renters and future households in Ireland.
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I absolutely stand over bringing the comparison to the famine because what you are absolutely doing is refusing to acknowledge the trauma that has caused to every single household that is evicted and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have stood over year after year, evictions rising, homelessness rising and you are just another minister going in standing over record homelessness, record evictions. They have no solution. I set it out very clear for you. A ban on no-fault evictions applying to existing tenants and you're actually getting up in here and lying spinning mistruths that you've brought in place the biggest protections of tenants when you haven't protected existing tenants. Correct the record you haven't given any protection to existing tenants. They're all still as exposed to being evicted on the streets as they were before your new measures. Have you finished? Deputy, I'm going to ask you to withdraw that comment. I'll withdraw that's a lie it was a mistruth. Minister to conclude. Thank you. I hope people at home can see exactly the kind of behaviour that comes from yourself there Deputy. This house is about this house has to be about finding solutions to address the housing crisis we've put our policies forward and we stand behind them to address the housing crisis that is in in this situation that's why we've seen a 20% increase in housing delivery last year we've seen the highest number of social houses built in the history of this state and we are going to build more homes and increase around affordable as well in relation to it. An eviction ban won't work okay it doesn't work it's actually already been tried in this state all it does is kill supply and when I think about people need somewhere to rent is not just those who are renting those are home who need somewhere to rent and that's where I bring into policies to do that you have the luxury of putting that forward that's fine you can put that policy forward but the personalization you consistently come in here with I think it does a disservice to every public representative in this country and I can't imagine what people at home who are thinking about policy in this country think about when they see the kind of personalizing of politics that comes from yourself and I think it actually just epitomizes how little you actually have to say about a policy in relation to that. Deputy Sheen, look again in relation to no fault evictions I understand why it would be you know of course it would protect people in the short term but it kills as I say that supply and I need to see a greater supply in this country so people have places to rent. Our population has increased by over 800,000 people since 2014 that requires approximately off the top of my head about quarter of a million homes and we have to you know to deliver the homes for those people but it was also you know an under supply before that we have to deliver even more homes so for me it has to be about driving that supply in relation to it. I think the notice of quits will be I think we're going to see fewer of those as this now moves forward. you
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