IRELAND: Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has suggested that winter evictions will lead to higher homelessness levels after the end of the ban, following calls from opposition parties to bring in a ban.
Several political parties have called for a ban on evictions this winter, including Labor and People Before Profit, which will introduce an eviction ban bill next week.
Labor leader Ivana Bacic said the most "pressing issue" facing private tenants this winter was the "fear of ending rent", and told the Dáil there was a precedent for an eviction ban.
Leo Varadkar, the Tánaiste, stated during Leaders' Questions this afternoon that the Government is now "weighing up" the introduction of a potential eviction ban during the winter months, adding that he is not ideologically opposed to the notion.
The government is currently debating whether to enact a no-fault eviction ban or a restriction on evictions throughout the winter, according to Varadkar.
"I certainly don't disagree to that on an ideological basis. Even though it was during the Covid crisis, there were travel restrictions, and the situation was different, we adopted it while I was Taoiseach and in charge of the previous administration.
Varadkar argued that the Government should consider the benefits and drawbacks of the policy, noting that while fewer people may lose their homes this winter, it may result in higher rates of homelessness if the prohibition is reversed.
"The obvious benefit is that fewer people lose their homes in the winter," Varadkar said.
The obvious disadvantage is that when it ends, you may see a glut of homelessness occurring at that time, which is harder to deal with and indeed it may accelerate the number of landlords leaving the sector and might result in a higher level of homelessness next year.
Nobody wants to take action to assist an issue improve a little for a few months only to make it significantly worse in a year.
Increased homelessness
The demand for a restriction on evictions comes after record numbers of individuals accessed emergency housing at the end of August.
According to the most recent data from the Department of Housing, 10,805 persons sought out emergency housing during the last week of August, breaking the previous high set in July 2022.
Ireland saw an increase in the number of homeless people for the eighth month running in August.
