Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-14
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James Browne (FF), Wexford

The Government supports section 6 standing part of the Bill, and cannot accept any amendment to it. Section 6 of the Bill comprises amendments to section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, and the purpose of these amendments is to extend local authority powers to withdraw the provision of homeless accommodation. Those powers will extend to circumstances where a household refuses a reasonable offer of social housing accommodation. That word is very important as it is not any offer; it must be a reasonable offer. Any offer must meet the needs of the person to whom it is being offered and he or she may appeal that decision as well. I do not envisage any situation where somebody will be, as the Senator put it, put out onto the streets. This measure is being introduced to ensure that no individual or family remains in homeless accommodation any longer than is absolutely necessary. Those powers will also extend to circumstances where a person engages in reckless or intentional conduct which causes death or serious harm to another person in homeless accommodation. That is another important part of this section and reason why it should be passed. This measure is being introduced to protect the health and safety of users and staff of homeless accommodation. The amendments to section 10 will also place an obligation on local authorities to have regard to the best interests of children when making a decision on the allocation of homeless accommodation to a homeless family with children.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:15+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-14