LIMERICK City Dáil Deputies Willie O’Dea, Kieran O’Donnell and Brian Leddin have been called on to explain why they are voting in favour of making constituents homeless.
The call came from Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan ahead of his party’s motion to extend the ban on evictions, which will be voted on later today (Wednesday).
“In ten days’ time, 211 eviction notices will fall due in Limerick. These individuals and working families face being made homeless in April, as a direct result of the government’s decision to end the eviction ban,” he explained.
“Where are they supposed to live? The government has yet to answer that because they are completely removed from the lived realities of working families.
“We are dealing with a dramatic increase in constituents coming to us in desperation and seeking assistance to find emergency accommodation.
“I have received countless calls from constituents who are petrified that they will soon be made homeless. Rent prices in Limerick have increased 18 per cent year on year and supply has become extremely limited. It is very difficult to see how these families will be able to source alternative accommodation.
“This is an incredibly traumatic time for so many working people who never envisaged finding themselves in such a situation, a situation that no other generation in the history of this State had to face.
“Willie O’Dea, Brian Leddin and Kieran O’Donnell, who is a Junior Minister for Housing are supporting the first Irish government to make a conscious decision to increase the number of families made homeless.
“They must see sense and extend the ban on evictions and put in place an ambitious series of emergency measures in the months ahead to reduce the number of people becoming homeless and accelerate the supply of social and affordable homes,” Deputy Quinlivan added.
