Dublin City Council special meeting to debate crisis over Tenant In Situ Scheme – Cllr Daithí Doolan
23 March 2025
Dublin City Council is set to have a Special City Council meeting tomorrow, Monday March 24th, to debate a Sinn Féin motion demanding the Minster for Housing James Browne TD to reinstate the Tenant In Situ Scheme.
Cllr. Daithí Doolan, Sinn Féin Group Leader on Dublin City Council, said:
“We can all agree that the Tenant In Situ Scheme has been a very useful tool in preventing homelessness in Dublin. Last year alone, several hundred families were saved from homelessness because of the Tenant In Situ Scheme.
“This very necessary homeless prevention measure allows local authorities to buy the properties from the landlord where families were facing eviction. This allowed the householder to remain in the home as council tenants.
“Unfortunately, the minister has not reinstated the scheme this year. This has resulted in dozens of families facing a stressful, precarious future. Some are threatened with homelessness for the second and third time. It is essential that the scheme remains in place without changes that will undermine this support. Tomorrow’s meeting is a last-ditch effort to preserve the Tenant In Situ Scheme.
“Dublin is at the centre of the housing crisis with 70% of all homelessness in Dublin. To undermine the Tenant In Situ scheme is unacceptable and shows just how out of touch this government really is.
“The Sinn Féin motion strongly encourages the Minster for Housing James Browne TD to do the right thing and provide Dublin City Council with the maximum amount of flexibility on the operation of the scheme and adequate funding to support tenants at risk of homelessness.
“I firmly believe that cross party support would send a very clear message to the Minister, urging him not to make more adults and children homelessness by approving any restrictions to the operation of the Tenant In Situ Scheme or reductions in funding to this vital homeless prevention measure.
“The minister needs to listen to the largest local authority in the country and immediately reinstate the successful Tenant In Situ scheme.”
There will be a ‘Bring Back the Tenant In Situ scheme’ demonstration outside City Hall before the meeting at 5.30pm tomorrow.
Text of motion for Special meeting of Dublin City Council:
Dublin City Council fully recognises the positive role the Tenant In Situ Scheme has played in preventing hundreds of adults and children people from entering homelessness.
We are concerned that proposed restrictions to the scheme will reduce the ability of the Council to do everything it can to prevent people from losing their homes.
We are particularly concerned that the capital allocation for 2025 will be less than the final spend on the scheme in 2024; that refurbishment costs will be excluded; that an arbitrary two-year in receipt of social housing support rule will be applied to properties; that single people and couples without children could be excluded from the scheme.
We understand that the Minister for Housing James Bowne will sign off on the final shape of the scheme before the end of the month and are urging him to provide Dublin City Council with the maximum amount of flexibility on the operation of the scheme and adequate funding to support tenants at risk of homelessness.
We agree to write to the Minister for Housing urging him not to make more adults and children homelessness by approving any restrictions to the operation of the Tenant In Situ scheme or reductions in funding to this vital homeless prevention measure.
