Fr McVerry 'understands' why Varadkar is denying eviction ban decision

Fr McVerry said this was why there was 'no preparation made' during the five-months for mitigating the effects of ending this ban

Due to the 4,329 notices of termination issued in the last three months of 2022, Fr McVerry said there will be a “tsunami of misery coming down the road”. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has said he “can understand” why Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is denying he overruled Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in relation to the eviction ban.

Fr McVerry alleged on Monday that Mr O'Brien wished to extend the eviction ban, however, this was overridden by Mr Varadkar, both of whom deny the claim.

Fr McVerry said this was why there was “no preparation made” during the five-month ban for mitigating the effects for ending this ban which he labelled as the “worst decision that this Government has taken in its lifetime”.

“I can understand why the Taoiseach is denying it, this is the most controversial and, I think, the worst decision the Government has made in its lifetime and they have to present a united front,” he said.

Fr McVerry said “not one measure” was taken by Government throughout the eviction ban period to mitigate the lifting of the ban which he said suggests that it was a “last-minute, rushed decision”.

Speaking earlier, Mr Varadkar vehemently denied the claim by Fr McVerry that he overrode Mr O’Brien on the issue of extending the eviction ban. Mr Varadkar said that the claim was “100% untrue” and that there was “zero evidence” to support it.

The Housing Minister had presented three options to Cabinet, the first of which was not to continue the eviction ban and that was what happened, he said.

'Untold misery'

Speaking to RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Fr McVerry said it “sounds reasonable” that the lifting of the ban was politically motivated so the effects of the lift would not run in line with the upcoming local EU elections.

Due to the 4,329 notices of termination issued in the last three months of 2022, Fr McVerry said there will be a “tsunami of misery coming down the road”.

“We don’t have the figures for the first three months of this year but it’s probably going to be quite similar so we’re talking of tens of thousands of people who are going to be put out of their homes at a time when emergency homeless accommodation is absolutely packed with very little capacity to take in more people,” he said.

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Fr McVerry said hotels that conditionally put up homeless families are now full while many others are now reverting to tourism, noting that those facing eviction have “no idea” where they are going to go. “It’s going to cause untold misery,” he said.

In addition, Fr McVerry said there are probably tens of thousands of tenants who are “worried sick” that an eviction notice may be coming.

He said tax measures for landlords should be introduced immediately and not in the next budget to stave off the mass exodus of landlords from the market.