Further 64 eviction notices in Quarter 4 for Kilkenny shows government must reinstate eviction ban

BY: DEPUTY KATHLEEN FUNCHION SINN FEIN TD FOR KILKENNY CARLOW

Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny has said the government must reintroduce the ban on evictions after the Residential Tenancies Board Quarter 4 gures showed a further 64 eviction notices were issued in Kilkenny for the last three months of 2022.

Teachta Funchion said: alteraccommonumber emeraccom-preoverhold in decito homelessemer-

" e latest gures from the Residential Tenancies Board show that 64 eviction notices were issued from October to December last year in Kilkenny.

“ is is on top of the 68 notices issued in Q3, which have now started to fall due this month as a result of the government ending the eviction ban.

" is is a huge number of eviction notices, and behind all of these gures are real people; workers, families and pensioners.

" e government has created a time of huge uncertainty and stress, and we are experiencing a growing number of people in despair contacting our constituency o ce because they simply have nowhere to go.

"While some will secure alter native private rental accommo dation, most will not. e result will be an increase in hidden homelessness as people move in with family and friends and an increase in the number of single people and families in emer gency accommodation.

"Kilkenny’s emergency accom modation system will simply not be able to cope with any signi cant increase in homeless pre sentations. Many people will be forced to overhold and in some cases to sleep rough.

" e government's deci sion to end the ban on nofault evictions was cruel, callous and wrong, and must be immediately reinstated.

"Government must also implement an emergency package of measures to prevent homeless ness, accelerate exits from emer gency accommodation and increase and accelerate the delivery of much needed social and a ordable homes."