(Source: www.pixabay.com)The Housing Minister has announced an 11-day extension to the bans on evictions and rent increases.
Last night, Darragh O'Brien extended the emergency COVID-19 measures until August 1st. However, the Minister initially wanted to extend them until October, before constitutional concerns were raised by the Attorney General.
Darragh O'Brien will now draft new legislation to be presented to cabinet. He says the extension is to make time to pass "robust legislation" for the rental sector, which will be presented to cabinet on Thursday. He says he'd received legal advice that the restriction of landlords' constitutional property rights could not continue after pandemic restrictions were eased.
Housing charity Threshold has insisted that any new legislation for tenants must contain a rent freeze. Their CEO, John Mark McCafferty says many tenants have faced pay cuts.
There's also been opposition to the government's handling of the issue, with Sinn Fein branding the latest developments 'a shambles'.
