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

I cannot accept the proposed amendments. The safety net provision for persons or households who are ineligible for homeless accommodation is not a continuous provision.
The inclusion in the legislation of the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. makes this clear. This provision allows local authorities to reassess the circumstances each day to determine that the safety net is still necessary. The inclusion of the specific hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. rather than referring to singular nights of accommodation is to make absolutely clear that sleeping hours provision should be available all year round and should not be curtailed in summer months where "night" could be interpreted as a shorter period. In implementing this provision, clear guidance will be provided to local authorities to ensure that the eight-to-eight period is applied as a minimum statutory provision.

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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