Labour is calling on the Housing Minister to extend the eviction ban until at least March.
The party's housing spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan is urging Minister Darragh O'Brien is to bring a memo to Cabinet to ban evictions for the six-week period of Level 5 restrictions.
Senator Moynihan said: "We don't know what the trajectory of this virus will be with the likelihood that we may be facing in and out of further restrictions into next year. These restrictions disproportionately affect renters who badly need security this winter. The Government's own monthly homeless figures show that the eviction ban works with a significant decrease in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation in recent months.
"My Colleagues and I have all been contacted by constituents who have been evicted for other reasons other than rental arrears due to the lifting of the eviction ban and we know that the majority of people being made homeless come from the private rented sector and we need to make sure that we are not adding to this problem.
"In July the Labour Party tabled an amendment to give the Minister for Housing the powers to reinstate the ban on evictions for public health reasons in the event of a second wave. If the Minister had accepted our amendment, there would be no need to introduce emergency legislation.
"It is important that renters have certainty at least until March. We know most people who are made homeless come from the private rental sector. Landlords must play their part in fighting this virus, it's not much to ask that people be allowed to remain in their homes during the worst public health crisis in a generation."
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
20/11/2024
MDE has been awarded the electrical services contract for the Clondalkin School Development Project in Dublin. Working alongside Cunningham Contracts Ltd., the company will serve as the specialist electrical contractor for the construction of new facilities for Gaelscoil na Camóige, Gaelscoil ...
20/11/2024
In celebration of European Week for Waste Reduction, the Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN) has launched an environmental education programme to promote zero-waste principles among young people. Three schools from the ABC Borough—St Francis Primary School in Lurgan, St Patrick's Primary ...
20/11/2024
Work has begun at hospital sites across Northern Ireland as part of preparations to eliminate car parking charges by May 2026. Health and Social Care Trusts are installing the necessary infrastructure for a new traffic management system, following the passing of the Hospital Parking Charges Act by ...
20/11/2024
Fine Gael has accused Sinn Féin of abandoning its commitment to protect consumers from rising energy costs, claiming that the party's policies could lead to increased costs for 2.1 million customers. The criticism comes after Sinn Féin's alternative budget last month proposed retaining the ...
20/11/2024
SDLP Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Patsy McGlone has urged Minister Andrew Muir to take decisive action to protect the environment, rather than launching additional reviews. The comments came after Minister Muir announced a review into environmental governance during an ...
20/11/2024
Alliance Strangford MLAs Kellie Armstrong and Nick Mathison, along with Alliance East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly, recently visited the tidal research experiment at Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML) in Strangford. The project, funded by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), is ...
19/11/2024
Phoenix Energy has been awarded an international standards accreditation from the British Standards Institution (BSI) in recognition of its inclusive service approach for customers in vulnerable situations. The certification highlights Phoenix Energy's commitment to providing fair, flexible, and ...
19/11/2024
Seating Matters is investing £3.7 million to enhance and improve its manufacturing facilities in Limavady and L'Derry. The company is aiming to support its bold strategy to triple revenue by 2027. Making the announcement while visiting the company's Limavady site Economy Minister Conor Murphy ...
19/11/2024
SDLP Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has urged the Minister and the Executive to take immediate action to address problems within Northern Ireland Water. Mr Durkan warned that the current state of the wastewater system is creating significant delays for infrastructure projects across ...
19/11/2024
Galway City Council will hold a public information evening on affordable housing on Monday, November 25, 2024, from 4pm to 8pm at the Connacht Hotel, Old Dublin Road, Galway. The event will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about how affordable housing operates. Council staff will be ...