Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has today hit out at the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Lowry Government for slashing funding to the Tenant in Situ scheme — a move that has led to Wicklow County Council suspending new applications to the scheme, putting families at serious risk of homelessness.
Speaking following confirmation from Wicklow County Council, Brady said:
“The decision to suspend the Tenant in Situ scheme in Wicklow is deeply alarming and will have devastating consequences for vulnerable households. This follows the Government’s cynical cuts and changes to the scheme — changes that are not only heartless but will actively drive more people into homelessness.
Wicklow County Council has now suspended the acceptance of any new applications and is awaiting clarity from Minister James Brown and the Department of Housing. This delay and uncertainty will push families over the edge. The Tenant in Situ scheme has been a crucial mechanism in stopping people from losing their homes. In 2023, it prevented 26 households in Wicklow from becoming homeless. So far in 2024, up to November, a further 18 households were saved from homelessness thanks to this scheme.
That is the kind of impact that proper funding and political will can deliver — real, tangible support for people who are at risk. Cutting that lifeline is cruel, and Minister James Brown must urgently reconsider this position. He must recognise that this shameful decision will directly result in families in Wicklow being pushed into homelessness. There is no other outcome unless these cuts are reversed.
The reality is, under this Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Lowry Government, homelessness has reached the highest level ever recorded in the history of the state. That is the legacy of this Government’s housing policies. And now, instead of addressing the crisis with urgency and compassion, they are compounding it by dismantling one of the few effective measures available to stop people from falling into homelessness.
This is a deeply cynical and short-sighted move. It will not reduce the need for housing — it will only reduce the number of people who are able to stay in their homes. That’s the simple truth. The Tenant in Situ scheme must be fully reinstated, and proper funding provided to Wicklow County Council without delay. We need real action, not more excuses. Families in Wicklow deserve to be protected, not abandoned.” Ends
For more information contact: Deputy John Brady 085-8546464