Leo Varadkar suggests rent eviction ban could be extended
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has suggested the current ban on rent evictions could be extended before it is due to be wound up next month.
The Government will decide before the St Patrick’s Day recess whether or not to extend the ban, he told the Dáil.
Under questioning from Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Mr Varadkar confirmed the Government “will consider the matter” in the coming weeks in plenty of time before the scheduled end to give certainty to renters.
Ms Bacik was deeply critical of the failure of the State to deal adequately with the housing crisis, saying Dublin City Council has only reclaimed 25 derelict houses over the past five years.
Mr Varadkar also defended the Government’s proposed bill to exclude up to 40% of survivors from the mother and baby home redress scheme which was debated in the Dáil on Tuesday night.
The Taoiseach was challenged by both Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Independent TD Catherine Connolly about the proposal to exclude large numbers of mother and baby home survivors from the €800m redress scheme.
“How dare you take pride in anything when you have been dragged every step of the way. Stop boasting this is the best scheme. We have brought through much bigger schemes like this for mica and we didn’t bat an eyelid,” said Ms Connolly.
Mr Varadkar responded by accusing Ms Connolly of engaging in personalised attacks on him and his character. He insisted the Government has listened to the experience of campaigners including Catherine Corless in Tuam and brought forward a generous scheme for victims.
“If we wanted to only contain costs, we would have left it to the courts. We haven’t done so,” he said.
Ms McDonald accused the Government of “shamefully” excluding children who spent less than six months in a mother and baby institution or a county home.
“As a consequence, 24,000 survivors will be left behind by the Government’s proposed scheme,” said Ms McDonald.
“It is scandalous that this exclusionary, discriminatory provision remains in the legislation. The scheme creates a hierarchy of victims by taking the view that some mothers and their children suffered less than others.”
The very idea that a child who spent less than six months in a home suffered no damage or injury and is not entitled to redress is just unacceptable, added Ms McDonald.
Mr Varadkar said the payments scheme will include financial payments to an estimated 34,000 people and a form of enhanced medical card for almost 20,000 who were resident in mother and baby and county home institutions at a cost of around €800m to the taxpayer.
He said that for the children who spent less than six months in an institution, the overwhelming priority need is access to records and information about their identity. For those children who spent short periods of time in an institution during their infancy, the action plan provides a response to their needs, primarily through the Birth Information and Tracing Act, and the investment that has been made to support implementation of this legislation.