The incoming government will look at legislation to prevent banks from evicting tenants from rental properties that they have repossessed.
The measure was discussed at a meeting between Focus Ireland and current Taoiseach Enda Kenny last Friday and, with Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin also behind such a change in the law, it is likely to pass through the Dáil no matter what the make up of the next government turns out to be.
A group has been established in the Taoiseach’s office to look at what can be done to prevent tenants being evicted if they have no alternative accommodation, in the event that the property they live in has been seized.
Meanwhile, a number of homeless charities will put pressure on the next government to create a new senior Minister for Housing to replace the role played by the Environment Minister in the last Dáil.
Fianna Fáíl support the plan, while Sinn Féin are also looking at it.
“There are over 1,700 families without a home,” Niamh Randall, Simon Community spokeswoman, told the Irish Independent.
“We’re talking about real families here. This (a Cabinet Minister) is something that could have a real difference on homelessness.
“Government reaction to the housing crisis has been too slow to something that is the issue of the decade.”
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