Mary Lou McDonald writes to Taoiseach seeking extension to eviction ban

Sinn Féin president says clock is ticking for thousands of families facing homelessness from April

Mary Lou McDonald: 'Where are these families supposed to go?' Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Mary Lou McDonald has written to the Taoiseach urging him to reverse his Government's decision to lift the eviction ban.

The Sinn Féin president has warned Leo Varadkar that the responsibility is also on him to tell the thousands of families who face eviction in the next few weeks where they are supposed to go.

Pleading with Mr Varadkar to extend the eviction moratorium, Ms McDonald said: "The clock is now ticking for thousands of families whose eviction notices kick in when the Government lifts the ban on April 1.

"It is the responsibility of the Taoiseach to answer the question — where are these families supposed to go? Where are the thousands more families who will receive eviction notices in the coming months supposed to go?" she asked.

Ms McDonald said properties available to rent are at an all-time low, there is a shortage of affordable accommodation, and the emergency accommodation system in many areas is at maximum capacity.

Families are running out of options. This situation is a staggering escalation in a housing crisis that was already out of control."

She accused the Government of lifting the eviction ban without any plan to protect thousands of households who will lose their home through no fault of their own.

“In the last week, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and several senior Government ministers have all been asked where these families are supposed to go.

"Not one of them answered. They dodged the question, while acknowledging that the decision to lift the ban will increase record levels of homelessness.

“With eyes wide open, the Taoiseach is watching these evictions approaching, and not only is he sitting on his hands, but he is also hell-bent on following through with a political choice that he knows spells disaster for thousands of working families. It is a cruel decision. It is dangerous, and it is unacceptable.

“Leo Varadkar is head of Government. The buck stops with him. He must tell these families, now living with a real, immediate, and overwhelming worry of eviction, where they are supposed to go on April 1?" Ms McDonald said.