Bressie, Mario Rosenstock and more call for eviction ban extension

Fr Peter McVerry, Bressie, Dr Rory Hearne, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Raise The Roof - Owen Reidy - and the director of the National Women’s Council, Orla O'Connor are among those participating in a campaign video calling on the government to #KeepTheBan.

Among the actors, musicians and famous names joining the call to extend the eviction ban are also include Kin actor Clare Dunne and Mario Rosenstock.

The eviction ban is set to expire at the end of this month, with a major protest at Dáil Éireann due to take place on April 1st.

The new video, created with Raise the Roof, describes how Ireland is in “the midst of the worst housing crisis since the foundation of this state and the Government is about to make it even worse”.

"Thousands of renters; individuals, families and children, are going to be evicted into homelessness if the eviction ban is lifted on March 31st. Where will they go? The Government must #keeptheban”.

Nobody should be evicted into homelessness.
The government should keep the #EvictionBan in place. It’s the right thing to do.
This video shows the cross section of society calling on Government to #keeptheban
And voices of those about to be evicted into homelessness
1/2 pic.twitter.com/OPHXcyv8An

— Rory Hearne (@RoryHearneGaffs) March 21, 2023

The video also calls on the Irish public to raise their voice and share their own videos and messages on social media and elsewhere. Renters facing eviction in a matter of days have their voices amplified in the clip.

“Hi, I’m Lisa, I’m a mother of three young boys,” one woman said. “They’re aged 11, 7 and 4. I’m due to be evicted on the 1st of April, I’m told that I’m going to be placed into emergency accommodation with my three sons.”

Dr Rory Hearne, author of Gaffs, and one of the people behind the video said: “We wanted to give a voice to those facing the trauma of eviction in the coming weeks if the eviction ban is lifted, and to also highlight the range of people from across Irish society who are opposed to the lifting of the eviction ban.

Eviction and homelessness is a trauma – an adverse childhood experience. It is a breach of human rights. The ban should be kept in place for enough time so that no one is evicted into homelessness and the Government takes emergency action to provide a supply of social and affordable housing through tackling the 166,000 vacant homes, dereliction, short stay tourist lets, build social and affordable homes rapidly.”

Dean Scurry, one of the activists involved in the Apollo House occupation in 2016, helped organise the campaign.

Orla O’Connor, director of the National Women’s Council, added that she is “really worried about the women and children who will be made homeless as a result of the lifting of the eviction ban”. The activist said the eviction ban needs to stay in place until there are “safe, secure, long-term solutions”.

Father Peter McVerry has been campaigning against homelessness for decades, and added his views on the issue:

“I’m horrified at the thought that the eviction ban will be ended in a few days time. At a time when there is virtually no emergency homeless accommodation available in this whole country. We have a wave of human misery coming down the road.”

"Thousands of people, including children and families, will be made homeless if the eviction ban is lifted," Mario Rosenstock continued. "No one deserves to be evicted into homelessness and everyone deserves a home. Let’s keep the eviction ban.”

Niall Breslin said:

“It has been a challenging and chaotic few years and nobody should be evicted into homelessness. The government should keep the eviction ban in place. It’s the right thing to do.”

Government leaders met today ahead of a Sinn Féin motion due in the Dáil tomorrow (Wednesday) which would extend the ban until January of next year.

The motion adds that by choosing to end the eviction ban on 31 March, the government has “increased the stress and insecurity experienced by the 750,000 people, including working families, living in private rented accommodation”.

It’s understood that Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan intends to vote in support of the Sinn Féin motion.