The government has come under criticism after voting to remove proposals to extend the current ban on evictions and take emergency action during that time to tackle rising homelessness.

Sinn Féin representative Eoin Ó Broin has hit out at the decision, calling for greater protection for renters in the cost-of-living packages.

Teachta Ó Broin said: "Sinn Féin tabled a motion that would have brought clarity and security to those people.

"We called on the government to extend the eviction ban until the end of the year.

"We told them that they needed to learn from the mistakes from the time they originally introduced the eviction ban in November when Darragh O'Brien sat on his hands and failed to use the breathing time afforded to increase and accelerate the delivery of social homes.

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"We proposed emergency interventions to increase and accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes. 

"We called for the introduction of emergency planning and procurement powers, and for the utilisation of modern building technologies on vacant buildings and to deliver modular homes.

"Unfortunately, Darragh O'Brien does not want to hear solutions and did not even have the courtesy to stay and listen to the debate on this motion.

"Instead, his government voted to amend our motion removing all proposals to provide protection for renters. Now many renters now face the prospect of being made homeless at the end of next month.

"The time to act is now. The time to extend the ban on evictions is now. And the time to introduce emergency measures to stem the tide of homelessness is now."