Healy-Rae to vote in favour of Sinn Féin motion extending eviction ban 

TDs will vote later this week on the motion, with Green Party member Neasa Hourigan already confirming she will vote against the Government.

Michael Healy-Rae at the pig farmers' protest in Dublin City Centre this morning over the increased cost of feed and fuel and poor prices for pig meat. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos Dublin

Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has said he will vote against the Government and in favour of a Sinn Féin motion which is seeking to extend the eviction ban until the end of next January.

TDs will vote on Wednesday on the motion, with Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan already confirming she will vote against the Government.

It was revealed last week that 17 local authorities have no emergency accommodation for those who become homeless and a further five said they have “extremely limited” space.

Some 4,741 notices of termination were issued to tenants by landlords in the months leading up to the eviction ban, figures from the Residential Tenancies Board showed, which renewed calls for a reversal of the ban.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out any extension of the ban saying while it will likely lead to a spike in homelessness, the ban itself merely pushed these evictions down the road.

Mr Healy-Rae said that the Rural Independent group will bring a number of amendments to the Sinn Féin motion.

He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland: "Will I be voting to extend the ban? Yes, I will.

"But it's in the absence of any other sensible proposal. The Government has not used the time during the last ban to do anything. All they've done is resulted in thousands of people leaving the private rental market.

He added that he is "very fearful" for people who are facing eviction in the next few weeks, saying that this is the reason he is voting to extend the current eviction ban.

"If the Government and the State aren't providing enough housing, they (people) are leaving in droves and that is a disaster and it's leading to a pressure point that I've never seen ever in my life."

Mr Healy-Rae also put blame on Sinn Féin for "demonising" people who own properties and rent them out.

Mr Healy-Rae has 24 registered properties on the Dáil's Register of Interests. He told Morning Ireland that all of them are rented out, but none of his tenants are facing evictions this year.

He noted that he is not sure how other Rural Independent TDs are going to vote on the motion, saying that they will be meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss it.