Fianna Fáil TDs are calling for the Government’s tenant-in-situ scheme to be extended to protect people who are not entitled to social housing from eviction.
It comes as several TDs and Senators at the party’s parliamentary party meeting called for an extension of the eviction moratorium.
The tenant in situ scheme sees local councils buy homes in a case where those in receipt of social housing supports are facing eviction because a landlord is selling the home.
The house is bought by the council and the tenant remains living in the house.
Several Fianna Fáil politicians called for this to be extended to those on lower incomes.
One TD said: “I do want [the eviction ban] extended because we see the people it is protecting. Those it protects most are those who are working and are above the social housing limits.
“They don’t benefit from the tenant in situ scheme.
“You can have a couple starting their careers in Dublin who may only be on €27,000 but they don’t qualify for social housing.
“The eviction ban is helping middle-income people and that is important to remember because they’re not entitled to any other support.”
The Irish Mirror understands that several Fianna Fáil TDs are in favour of this proposal.
One Fianna Fáil politician said that if the eviction ban is extended, the Government cannot make “the same mistakes they did in October” when it was introduced.
They said: “If we were to really try and stem the increase of homelessness, we need to increase supply. We are doing that but it takes time.
“In the meantime, we need to hold on to the accommodation that we have.
“It wasn’t enough just to put the ban in place. They also had to put in measures to keep landlords. We proposed that there would be tax breaks. That wasn’t done.
“In Dublin, it is a huge temptation for landlords to sell up, take your money and put it into a pension without any of the hassle.
“Landlords are waiting now for the ban to be lifted to sell their property.”
It was also suggested at the meeting that the “rent a room” scheme which allows a person to rent a room in their home tax-free up to €14,000 a year, should be extended to include full houses where a landlord owns just one property.
Speaking on Thursday evening, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said that there were “pros and cons” to extending the eviction ban.
He said: “We are aware that this decision has played a very important role in minimising evictions over a number of very, very demanding months.
“I also have to consider what the extension of that decision could mean for the ability to encourage new landlords to come into the rental sector in the time ahead.
“All ministers who are involved in these decisions are aware of these trade-offs and no decision has been made.
“Whatever decision we make will be accompanied by policies to make that decision work and to recognize the trade-offs that are involved.”
A senior Government source said that extending the tenant in situ to those not in receipt of social housing supports is not under consideration.
"There a lot of complexities around it. What would be the parameters they're suggesting? What income would fall into it? Would dependents be included?
"It is a pepper-pot approach to cost rental. One here and there rather than a development which can be managed and maintained."
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