Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020
1287. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to assist persons in the private rented sector during the Covid-19 crisis; and his further plans to assist the self-employed, freelancers and those in the gig economy who will not be able to work during self-isolation and may fall behind on rents as a result. [4985/20]
View answer1288. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to assist persons in the private rented sector during the Covid-19 crisis; and his further plans to assist persons that will not be able to pay the rent due to the shortfall between the higher €305 a week illness benefit rate and normal wages in circumstances in which the employer refuses to top-up the benefit. [4986/20]
View answer1289. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to assist persons in the private rented sector during the Covid-19 crisis; and his further plans to assist persons that will be unable to pay their rent due to self-isolation. [4987/20]
View answer1290. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to assist people in the private rented sector during the Covid-19 crisis; and his further plans to assist persons that are self-isolating and have an upcoming notice of termination which requires them to leave the property. [4988/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1287 to 1290, inclusive, together.
Tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the COVID-19 emergency period and, in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with their landlords at the earliest opportunity. They should also engage with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) as income supports and Rent Supplement are available to assist them. Further information on these supports can be found by calling the DEASP Income Support Helpline for COVID-19 on 1890 800 024 or by visiting the DEASP website at:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-employment-affairs-and-social-protection/?referrer=https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/home.aspx
With effect from 27 March 2020, under new emergency measures introduced into law to protect tenants during the COVID-19 emergency period, tenants cannot be forced to leave their rental accommodation, other than in exceptional circumstances. The measures also prohibit any increases to rent for the duration of the emergency period. Initially, these emergency laws will last for a period of 3 months, but they may be extended if the Government considers it necessary.
My Department recently published a Guidance Document on COVID-19 supports for landlords and tenants, which sets out the emergency rental measures and income and other supports available to tenants and landlords during the emergency period. The Guidance document is available at:
https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/images/uploads/general/COVID_Update_Guidance_Document_final.pdf
and a list of Frequently Asked Questions has been developed and is available at:
https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/images/uploads/Comms%20and%20Research/FAQs_on_Emergency_Legislation_Final.pdf
Carrying out an illegal eviction, which includes prohibiting access to the property or making the property uninhabitable by disconnecting services, can result in damages of up to €20,000 being awarded to the tenant. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) can seek an injunction from the Courts to reinstate the tenant and will continue to prioritise these cases during the emergency period.
The RTB is encouraging all customers who may require assistance or advice, including in relation to any threatened eviction, to contact them via their web chat service as there may be delays to their phone lines during the emergency period. The webchat service can be accessed at the following link:
https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/contact-us/ .
