Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has called on government to immediately reintroduce the ban on no-fault evictions to protect renters.

The call came as figures released by the Residential Tenancies Board showed a dramatic increase in eviction notices issued by landlords from April to June.

Teachta Crowe said:

“The latest RTB figures show huge number of eviction notices issued locally by landlords between April and June of this year. The total number of notices in Dublin was 2,298.

“These figures show that the number of people at risk of homelessness is set to grow in the coming months leading to further rises in homelessness.

“Government must immediately reintroduce the ban on no fault evictions until such time as the numbers of people in emergency accommodation starts to fall.

“They need to deliver more social and affordable housing specifically for those in emergency accommodation using emergency planning powers and new building technologies. And they must ramp up the social and cost rental tenant-in-situ schemes.

“The government was wrong to end the ban on no-fault evictions, as they abandoned renters while having no plan in place to protect them. This has left ordinary workers and families facing the heartbreak and distress of losing their home.

“If we are to see levels of homelessness fall, we need an emergency response and we need it now. People are suffering badly from Government’s failure to get to grips with the housing crisis. A Sinn Féin government would act to deliver genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy for workers and families.”