Meath rental properties already scarce ahead of ending of eviction ban

With the end of the eviction ban looming, the prospect of finding alternative accommodation for renters facing eviction is looking grim amid a scarcity of rental properties across the county.

A search on property website daft.ie shows that today there were just 28 properties being advertised for rent in the county. Six properties were available in the Navan area, three in Kells, and three in Ashbourne but none in the town of Trim. Of the 28 properties, three were in the Drogheda area.

Yesterday, the Government defeated Sinn Féin's motion calling for the eviction ban to be extended until January 2024. With a majority of 83 votes to 68 in the Dáil, the ban is due to expire at the end of this month on a phased basis.

Irish renters including those in Meath are now facing the possibility of eviction and homelessness with very few properties available across the county for rent.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Government and Independent TDs of voting “to make more people homeless” adding: “It is a despicable decision.”

Currently more than 12,000 people in Ireland are homeless, including over 3,000 children who are living in emergency accommodation.

“Now, because of your decision to lift the eviction ban, 3,000 more households are now looking at that harrowing experience,” she added.

The Government's decision to overturn the eviction ban in the midst of Ireland's housing crisis is a major blow to Irish renters.

Properties were already scarce across the country before the Government's decision to lift the ban. The latest rental report from property website Daft.ie shows that rents in Meath continue to rise and were up almost 12 per cent cent for the last quarter of 2022, compared to the same period the previous year.

The website currently shows that in Meath only 28 properties are available for rent, including six in Navan and three in Kells, Drogheda and Ashbourne, respectively.

These listings reflect the ongoing struggles of the housing crisis, with a one-bed flat averaging at 1,000 per month, doubling in price with the addition of a second bedroom.

Over the years the homeless crisis has gotten significantly worse, with record rents and lack of long-term security of tenure and rent certainty especially in comparison to other European countries.

The government's decision to overturn the ban was met with resistance within their own party after rebel Green TD Neasa Hourigan voted with the Opposition. As a result, the TD has been suspended for 15 months, losing all her Oireachtas committee positions including her €10,082-a-year role as Oireachtas budgetary oversight committee chair.

In advance of the Dáil vote, a Green Party minister had warned voting against the Government is a “very serious matter” and “destabilises the Coalition”.

Labour has confirmed it will use its private members’ time next week to bring forward a motion of no confidence in the Government over the end of the eviction ban. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the no-confidence motion is not something the party does lightly but it had “no choice in the current circumstances”.