Notices to quit rise but Fingal avoids evictions

THERE have been no evictions of local authority tenants in Fingal in the past two years, the council has confirmed.
2014 saw 200 notices to quit issued to tenants – 199 of which were for non-payment of weekly rents, with one issued in the interest of good estate management.
2013 saw 153 notices served, 152 for non-payment of rents and one in the interest of good estate management. However, the issues were remedied, and no evictions were carried out.
Fingal is the only one of the four Dublin local authorities not to evict any tenants last year. Dublin City Council carried out one eviction, South Dublin carried out three and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown carried out four.
Cllr Eugene Coppinger (AAA) welcomed these figures, but also asserted his belief that tenants should never be evicted due to non-payment of rents.
He said: “It would be great if the council could give a commitment to not carry out any evictions, going forward.
“People have been hit in the pocket from so many areas in these years of the austerity agenda.
“Many people genuinely haven’t got the money, and are struggling to pay their rent.
“Obviously, the best way to deal with this is to continue to engage with people and to come to an agreeable payment plan with them.
“I will submit a motion for the February council meeting seeking the council to commit to a policy of non-eviction for tenants struggling to pay rents,” he said.
The deputy mayor of Fingal, Ted Leddy, said: “I am eagerly awaiting the details of the new tenant purchase scheme which will be coming out in the second quarter of 2015.
“I’d prefer to see more people in home ownership rather than social housing. I fully accept that there are people struggling to pay their rent, and something has to be done about that.
“I am also eagerly awaiting the details of the pilot housing assistance payment scheme which allows people to work and keep their payment
“There is a question about whether or not they will be able to remain on the housing list – that hasn’t been finalised yet, but there are schemes in place for people which I fully support,” said Cllr Leddy (FG).