Leo Varadkar has updated his Dail Register of Interests to reveal he is now a landlord.
The Taoiseach did this in advance of the Government decision to end the evictions ban. The pro-landlord move to let the evictions moratorium lapse from the end of this month was slammed by the opposition in the Dail and by housing charities.
It is estimated that hundreds of people and families could be made homeless when the ban ends. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said: “News that the eviction ban will not be extended has upended the worlds of thousands of renting families.”
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Meanwhile, a spokesman for Depaul stated: “The moratorium was designed to buy us time to increase supply and target those most at risk of eviction and this has not been fully achieved.”
In Mr Varadkar’s latest Register of Interests lodged to the Dail’s official website on February 24, the Taoiseach declares no shares, gifts, directorships, travel facilities, remunerated positions or contracts. However, he does declare his new status as a landlord, or “lessor” as he calls it, under the “Occupation” heading.
On the evictions ban, David Carroll, chief executive of charity Depaul, revealed: “With approximately 3,000 notices to quit being issued up to the end of June 2022 we are expecting an unprecedented demand for our emergency accommodation services.”
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “Government have considered a number of courses of action in advance of the ending of the winter moratorium period and believe that a focus on new supply is the best way forward.”
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