Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
37. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the relationship between the new Covid-19 levels and the protections for tenants; if the protections will be enhanced if the levels change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28425/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister said this evening that he will closely monitor Covid-19 case numbers and that he will take action to protect renters, if necessary, if numbers increase. Given that we have five levels containing a range of measures, would it not be appropriate to specify in those five levels the sort of measures the Government would take and the levels at which they would do that?
I thank the Deputy for his valid question. All of us hope that we do not have to move up further through the levels. Work is ongoing with regard to other measures that may have to be taken in the future, particularly if it was a level 5 event. I earnestly hope that will not be the case.
I know the Deputy is aware of the protections that are in place under the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020. Even though some do not want to accept it, there has been a significant tapering off of terminations of tenancies. There has been a continued reduction in homelessness, particularly family homelessness. There is still an issue with singles, and we need to focus on that. What I want is a sustainable rental sector. That is why the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, mentioned other housing measures like the affordable rental plan, which the Government is committed to delivering. The Enniskerry Road and Emmet Road developments are the two pilot projects of the previous Government but I would like to see that expedited further.
To answer the Deputy's question, it is being monitored closely, not just within my Department but by the Cabinet sub-committee on housing. We want to make sure that tenants are protected. I might use this opportunity to mention that in respect of the new protections that have been brought in for tenants, I have asked the RTB to engage in direct communication with all tenants from next week. Some 430,000 contacts, in terms of landlords and tenants, will be sent an information sheet advising them of their new rights, who they can contact and their recourse to the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and to the emergency rent supplement that many people are not accessing. That will be followed by a full national advertising campaign on radio and television to get the word out because more work needs to be done to highlight the protections that are available for people under the current legislation. We are monitoring this. Preparatory work is being done within my Department in conjunction with the Department of the Taoiseach.
I welcome that the Minister is indicating that this work is being done. I take it from the answer that if we do go up to level 5 measures will be introduced. It is important that that work is finalised as quickly as possible in case we find ourselves in that situation and that it will be communicated to people, preferably in advance. That would be the way to do it.
Work has been done by a team of epidemiologists at Harvard University, the University of Illinois and the University of Pennsylvania which has shown that the rate of evictions can substantially increase the number of cases and the spread of Covid-19. Has the Minister or his Department examined that modelling? Has any modelling been done in Ireland on the impact of evictions on the spread of Covid-19? If not, will he or his Department undertake such modelling on the public health repercussions of evictions?
The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, published its quarterly report on 2 October and within that are some of the facts that pertain to the positive effect within the market of the new protections and the new legislation the Government brought forward. As a result of the legislation we are now able to track the number of 28-day warning letters for rent arrears issued. We were not able to track that previously but it is now in law. We can do it because once a warning letter is issued the landlord must copy it to the RTB. There used to be a 14-day notice. We changed it to 28 days in the legislation that others in the Chamber opposed. Some 844 warning letters were issued. Some 182 notices of termination were issued but of those 182, 174 self-declarations were made also. The numbers with regard to homelessness in June, July and August indicate that there has been a stabilisation. I want to see it reduced further. We have got to operate on a primary legislative footing. The primary legislation we have in place is a much sounder footing on which to be able to build. I will come back in when the Deputy has asked his supplementary question.
I agree with the Minister that that primary legislation should be on a sound footing. One of the most effective things the Minister could do, which is a long-term reform but would also be welcome in terms of Covid-19, is to reduce the grounds for eviction through primary legislation, which would bring us into line with other European countries. Will the Minister do that as a matter of urgency in terms of Covid-19 but also with a view to it being a long-term reform?
I asked the Minister about modelling in terms of the impact of evictions on Covid-19. We have international research and evidence showing that there is a relationship between evictions and the spread of Covid-19. Has that been looked at here? If not, will the Minister make sure that such modelling is undertaken at some level within Government?
From the medical advice that we are given there is no question that people moving through society during a virus pandemic enhances the risk of its spread. That is the reason measures were taken by the previous Oireachtas and why further measures have been taken here to protect tenants. It is something that we will watch. Significant permanent changes were made in the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 relating to arrears, assistance and notification periods, which is very important, and also to determination notices. Further strengths were brought in with that Act that, unfortunately, did not receive the unanimity I felt it deserved. That said, we will still need to work to protect tenants' rights further and I and my colleagues, the Ministers of State, Deputies Noonan and Burke, are committed to doing that. We had a good initial meeting of the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage earlier today where I committed to working in a collaborative way with colleagues from all parties and none to ensure we can bring forward workable, realistic solutions that will not have a negative impact on the market or drive people further out of it, which is an issue that is not discussed. The knock-on effect of the intended or otherwise unintended consequences of some of the measures that are put forward as simplistic solutions would lead to more tenants becoming homeless and in emergency accommodation, which is not what I want to see happen.
