Government urged to intervene after 36 Wexford homes given eviction notices
It is understood the notices of terminations were issued by one developer who owns a number of houses at Hazelwood, Bridgetown, Wexford on Friday. Picture: Formatoriginal / Alamy Stock Photo
The Government has been urged to intervene after 36 homes in one area of Wexford were issued eviction notices.
It is understood the notices of terminations were issued by one developer who owns a number of houses at Hazelwood, Bridgetown, Wexford on Friday. Local Labour TD George Lawlor said the news was "deeply troubling", and has called on Government to urgently intervene to prevent further mass evictions.
The notices came in the hours before the Government's new rental rules kicked in on Sunday. Landlords will now have to keep rent price increases capped at 2% or the rate of inflation annually. With a new tenancy, the owner can reset it to the market rate with no limit.
Under the new rules, tenancies will have a minimum duration of six years. There will also be more stringent grounds for eviction.
Mr Lawlor said the evictions must be stopped.
“This is a disgrace. It is no coincidence that this wave of notices comes on the back of the new rental rules brought in by Government," he said.
“I’m calling on Government to step in immediately, to examine these cases in detail and to ensure that every legal protection available to tenants is enforced."
A mother of two who is in one of the 36 households, described the move as “frightening” and “stressful”.
Ann Marie Lamb, who has a child with additional needs, said: “There are 36 households in total facing this situation, and behind every one of those houses is a real family trying to figure out what happens next.”
Ms Lamb said many who have been given the notices are working full time, paying rent, and “doing everything we can to keep our lives stable”.
“This isn’t just about houses — it’s about children in local schools, families connected to their community, and people who simply don’t know where they are supposed to go in the middle of a housing crisis, when there are so few rentals available,” she said.
"We are doing our best to support each other and find a way forward.”
The eviction notices were served by Patchflow Ltd, which has been contacted for comment. An emergency information meeting is to be held by Wexford County Council on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said minister James Browne did not have all of the details, but "advises any impacted tenants to speak to the Residential Tenancies Board and Wexford County Council".
They said the minister has been in contact with the RTB over the weekend and understands it is directly engaging with the council.
"The minister understands that Wexford CoCo are available to advise anybody who may have questions, or have received a notice to quit from their landlord, and clinics will be held next week at their offices to offer support and signposting.
"Section 35A (known as the 'Tyrrelstown amendment') of the Residential Tenancies Acts provides that, where a landlord proposes to sell 10 or more units within a single development at the same time, that sale is subject to the existing tenants remaining in situ, other than in exceptional circumstances."
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