140. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action he proposes to take to address the monthly rise in homelessness and the record number of evictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37893/26]
Sentiment score: 0.03
I want to ask the Minister what actions he proposes to take in light of the monthly rise in homelessness and the record number of evictions that we have seen detailed in the release of the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, data last week, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.18
The RTB data shows that 7,062 eviction notices were issued in the first three months of this year. While there is an increased number of landlords, some of that is down to the regularisation of tenancies. Will the Minister's homeless prevention framework, which he said is coming, have clear targets and timelines, year on year and quarter on quarter? If it does not, then it will effectively become redundant very quickly . What legislative measures similiar to, for example, the homeless families Bill or the Simon Community's homelessness prevention Bill will the Minister introduce to in order to bring the homeless figures down?
Sentiment score: 0.14
The Minister spoke about prevention measures but the fact of the matter is that the most effective prevention measure that we had in recent times was the one that he severely restricted, namely the tenant in situ scheme or the ability of local authorities to acquire homes through second-hand acquisitions. The number acquired halved between 2024 and 2025. Will the Minister prioritise homeless prevention by allowing local authorities to use second-hand acquisitions for homeless prevention where it is not practically possible to offer an allocation? Local authorities are really severely restricted at the moment. Will the Minister support my Bill to ban no-fault evictions? I ask everybody in this House to support that legislation.
Sentiment score: -0.07
187. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will carry out a review of the licensing system in relation to the Government’s plan to allow landlords to rent out modular units adjacent to the principal private residence under the proposed revised exempted development guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37482/26]
Sentiment score: -0.12
I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I wish to ask the Minister if the Government will carry out a review of the licensee system in relation to the plan to allow landlords to rent out modular units adjacent to the principal private residence under the revised proposed exempted development guidelines. The reason I ask is because there are a number of loopholes with the licensee system and the protections that are there for tenants are non-existent.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I raise this issue particularly in light of a very good report that Threshold did last October looking at the licensee system and the category of people in the licensee system who were, when it came to renters' rights, effectively invisible. The rent-a-room scheme does not come under the RTB Act, so there is no security of tenure there and no real renter's rights. That might be fine when you are talking about a room in someone's house but if you are talking about a modular unit, it is a separate physical entity. What we do not want to do is create a situation where we inadvertently create another shadow rental market. I know when this was first mooted the intention was not to allow landlords to rent these out. Then that was changed. I am looking for a quick review of the licensee system in order to make sure that if landlords are allowed to rent these out, tenants at least have some basic sense of protection.
Sentiment score: 0.15
My concern here in relation to the licensee system is that in the arrangement they have with the person from whom they are renting the room, most people do not even realise it is a licensee agreement until there is a dispute. Then when there is a dispute and they go to the RTB, they find out that they, in effect, do not have very many rights. There is a real need for clearer regulations that safeguard licensees, who are very much in a grey area. There are very limited grounds on which a licensee can challenge a sudden eviction or rent increase. If the Government is going to go ahead and allow landlords to rent out modular units adjacent to the principle private residence, then that needs to be done in tandem with a review of the licensing system to safeguard renters.
Sentiment score: 0.07