The Government takes illegal evictions very seriously and is committed to doing everything in its power to ensure that tenants are treated fairly, respectfully and within the confines of what is legally permissible.
I support every effort to enforce compliance with the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA). The RTB recommendations for legislative change relating to evictions are being carefully examined and considered for progression through to legislative change through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It should be noted that the RTB currently facilitates dispute resolution in cases of illegal eviction. Parties who believe they are being illegally evicted are encouraged to engage with the RTB. Its disputes team engages with both parties where possible, to explain their respective rights and responsibilities of the respective parties with a view to de-escalating the dispute.
It is the intention that the RTB recommendations be fully explored in the context of the review of the private rental sector (Action 2.1 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update), which is underway. The review includes a public consultation process including targeted engagement with various stakeholders. The consultation will commence shortly and will continue for 4 weeks.
This exploration will examine the desired policy change, its likely practical impact, the need for any legislative change and whether any unintended consequences might arise. Any proposed changes to the RTA would need to be justified from a legal, economic, social and practical perspective.
