TDs will hold a vote on a motion of no-confidence against the government today over the lifting of the eviction ban.
The government is expected to have a narrow win with the support of independent TDs, but if they did lose, a general election would be called in April.
Independent TD for Donegal Thomas Pringle say she will be voting against the government and called on Independents to challenge the status quo.
“Supporting them (government) only stalls a much-needed election,” Deputy Pringle said.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “If the motion of confidence fails tomorrow morning and if the Opposition is successful, the Dáil will be dissolved tomorrow evening.
“There will be an election some time in April. The Dáil will not meet again until some time in May and the eviction ban will have long lapsed since then. That is a simple fact.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who had tabled the no-confidence motion said: “Even at this 11th hour, it’s not too late for Government to do the right thing and extend the eviction ban.
“In January, 11,754 people were in in state-funded emergency accommodation. This figure does not include people sleeping rough, people couch surfing, homeless people in hospitals and prisons, those in Direct provision centres, and homeless households in Domestic Violence Refuges. These people are not included in the regular monthly homeless figures as they are not accessing emergency homeless accommodation funded through Section 10 of the Housing Act. The real figure is much higher.
“The Government spent 539 million on HAP and 114 million on RAS in 2022 – huge subsidies to a private sector which has proven that it can’t and won’t meet the housing needs of the people. We need a radical rethink.”
