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1. On @neasa_neasa & @joefingalgreen's vote and abstention on the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill: from 2016-2020 the Green Party introduced legislation & amendments preventing evictions. Hourigan voted in line with this. The PfG doesn't reference eviction legislation.
2. @GraceOSllvn 's Derelict and Vacant Sites Bill 2017 put forward the @FocusIreland amendment to prevent evictions on the sale of a property - according to NGOs the lack of this protection can be directly linked to the 450% increase in child homelessness under last 2 governments
3. Secondly, the Secure Rents and Tenancies Bill 2016 which @greenparty_ie co-signed with Social Democrats, Labour, Sinn Féin, Independents4Change & People Before Profit. The Bill again protected tenants from eviction in the case of sale.
4. Thirdly, the Green Party introduced amendments to restrict evictions under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016. This Bill implemented the previous government's Rebuilding Ireland policy positions.
5. Rather than a simplistic charge of 'idealism' in politics, this poses deeper questions about the nature of political practice. Is it acceptable to vote for evictions after running in the GE19 on the basis of this legislation?
6. Is the whip in this instance a democratic practice considering eviction legislation was not an agreed part of the PfG? The Green Party has no mandate from its voters to vote for evictions given all of our previous legislation, amendments, statements and policy on the matter.
7. Mismatch between actions and promises is a political issue. Is it ok to run on a housing platform when you vote to bring in evictions during a pandemic? This type of behaviour breeds the mistrust that feeds political disengagement and the rise of the far right across Europe.
