AN OPPOSITION BILL proposing a 12 month ban on evictions has passed second stage in the Dáil today after Junior Housing Minister Kieran O’Donnell admitted a “rookie error” by forgetting to oppose the bill.
People Before Profit warned of an “avalanche” of evictions and further spikes in homelessness if the Government’s eviction ban is allowed to lapse.
A temporary eviction ban is in place since November and is due to expire at the end of March.
People Before Profit’s bill itself proposes to extend the ban for an initial 12 months but would grant the Minister for Housing powers to extend the ban if it was in the “public interest”.
Following this morning’s debate on the bill, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked if the bill was “agreed”.
At this point, it is customary and the job of the Government minister in the chamber to state that the Government is opposing the proposed legislation by saying, “not agreed”, which O’Donnell failed to do.
“The bill is read a second time,” said the Ceann Comhairle as a result.
There was clear confusion on the Government front benches as O’Donnell’s colleagues told him he had forgotten to oppose the bill.
The junior minister quickly got to his feet stating that he was opposing the bill.
“Well no, you didn’t oppose it, you can’t come in afterwards,” said Ó Fearghaíl.
O’Donnell, clearly flustered at his mistake, then raised a point of order, stating:
“My apologies, we are opposing the bill. So I’d ask the indulgence…
My apologies. It’s called, we’ll say, a rookie error. I’d ask you to be somewhat flexible just on this occasion Cathaoirleach.
Ó Fearghaíl said no, stating that there are well established practices that must be adhered to in the House.
He said the decision was made. “I am not prepared to have it unmade,” said the Ceann Comhairle.
The bill will now be referred to an Oireachtas committee where it will most likely not progress, but today’s slip up is an embarrassing one due to Government set to make a decision in the next two weeks on whether to extend its own eviction ban.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáíl today that an announcement on whether the Government will extend the eviction ban will be made before the St Patrick’s Day recess.
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