The Taoiseach says there are legal difficulties stopping them from reintroducing an eviction ban this winter

It follows another month of record homelessness figures

Image via Facebook.com/michealmartintd

The Taoiseach says there are legal difficulties stopping them from reintroducing an eviction ban this winter.

It follows another month of record homelessness figures with 10,805 people in emergency accommodation in August.

Despite that Micheál Martin says they don't plan to bring back an evictions ban for the winter:

"During covid, we had a context that made it constitutionally allowable to do what we did in relation to banning evictions.

"Particularly with the 5km rule and the restrictions that were put on people's movements. That's not as clear-cut in a non-covid situation. "

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin, says the government needs to accelerate the delivery of social homes, to offset the homelessness crisis.

"Ultimately of course the solution to the homelessness crisis is for government to accelerate and increase the supply of social and affordable homes, they're already behind on their targets this year. 

"But given the dramatic escalation of the numbers of adults and children in emergency accommodation we need and emergency intervention by the minister - which means a ban on evictions during the winter period."