Labour TD Conor Sheehan Makes Claim in Dáil

Labour Party housing spokesperson and TD Conor Sheehan has claimed that evictions in Ireland have reached their highest level since the Great Famine. The assertion was made in the Dáil and coincided with the launch of a new Labour bill intended to address the housing crisis by re-introducing a temporary no-fault eviction ban for the next three years.

Deputy Sheehan’s comments come amid a broader critique of the current rental market and government housing policies. On April 2, 2026, Sheehan spoke to reporters at Leinster House regarding proposals to allow standalone structures in gardens, such as modular homes, to be rented out. He argued that allowing landlords to profit from these structures would constitute a watering down of rental rules across the State.

Rental Market and HAP Accessibility

The claims regarding evictions follow previous criticisms by Deputy Sheehan concerning the accessibility of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). In February 2026, Sheehan responded to a Simon Communities report titled Locked Out of the Market, which analyzed rental availability across 16 surveyed areas, including Limerick.

The report found that in December 2025, there was not a single property available to rent within standard HAP limits across the 16 areas. Data indicated that out of 929 properties advertised over a three-day period, only 31 fell within any HAP limits, meaning only three per cent of available homes were accessible to those relying on the payment.

Deputy Sheehan stated that this data indicates a rental system that has stopped working for individuals on low and middle incomes. He noted that the lack of available housing forces families into emergency accommodation, leads to sofa surfing and compels workers to leave their communities.

Modular Homes and Policy Disputes

The current dispute over modular homes centers on a government proposal to increase the permitted size of standalone structures on individual properties to 40 square meters. While Deputy Sheehan acknowledged a need for flexibility for individuals who may be living in childhood bedrooms, he opposed the ability of landlords to earn income from these units.

Sheehan claimed that he had warned in February 2025 that such structures would be rented out, though he alleged he was treated like a hypochondriac by the Government at that time. He described the potential renting of these units as beds in sheds and argued that such a move contradicts the original reasons the modular homes plan was introduced the previous year.

A spokesperson for Housing Minister and Fianna Fáil TD James Browne rejected these assertions. The spokesperson characterized the use of the term floodgates by Deputy Sheehan as unnecessary and without evidence, describing the comments as the usual deliberate scaremongering.

Legislative Proposals and Government Response

In response to the current state of the rental sector, the Labour Party has proposed a bill to implement a three-year ban on no-fault evictions. This proposal is presented as a necessary measure to provide security to renters who currently face limited supply and record rents.

Deputy Sheehan has previously criticized the government for pressing ahead with rental sector changes in the Dáil, claiming that such measures would drive rents higher. He argued that renters in a dysfunctional housing market would pay the price for these legislative changes.

The claim that evictions are at their highest rate since the famine has also been the subject of a FactCheck investigation by TheJournal.ie as of April 4, 2026.