Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2020-07-31
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Lynn Ruane (IND), University of Dublin

I move amendment No. 12:
In page 7, to delete lines 2 to 4.
I thank the Minister of State for being in the House today. I welcome the Bill, but I am extremely disappointed by the watering down of protections for tenants contained in it. It represents an unfortunate weakening of the social solidarity we saw during the Covid-19 lockdown, when we introduced strong emergency measures to support vulnerable people, the unemployed and tenants in the private rental market. It is extremely depressing to see this Government withdrawing these protections at the earliest possible opportunity. The Bill has already prompted a host of Opposition amendments in the Dáil and in this House. It has already cost the Government two votes in the Dáil, including that of a junior Minister. This should be enough to give its supporters cause for concern.
Amendment No. 12 is a straightforward change. It would delete an extremely mean-spirited provision of this Bill. It is identical to a recommendation I proposed during debates on the emergency Covid-19 legislation in the last Seanad in March. As the Minister of State knows, tenants acquire legal rights according to the length of time they remain in the property. In the context of a rental market where protections are extremely weak by international comparisons, tenancy rights under Part 4 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 are extremely important to ensuring stability and security of tenure and protecting vulnerable tenants from homelessness. They become even more important during a pandemic, when a person's accommodation becomes a key part of his or her protection against a virus.
Due to the eviction ban instituted in March and the extension of notice to quit periods proposed under this Bill, tenants have remained and will be remaining in their homes for longer due to the increased legal protection from homelessness rightly provided by the Oireachtas. However, this subsection would ensure that the extra time for which a tenant or a family is allowed to stay in a home as a result of these protections is explicitly excluded from any assessment of tenancy rights. This provision was wrong in March and it is wrong now. People have been forced to remain in their homes for months as a result of public health advice issued by the Government. They have been legally prevented from leaving. To expressly prohibit time spent under a legally enforced quarantine from contributing to the tenancy rights of an individual or family and their ability to stay in their own home is not fair. The provision must be removed. I urge the Minister of State to accept this amendment.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-07-31