The ban on evictions will not be extended beyond the end of this month due to concerns that an extension would damage the supply of rental properties in the long term, the Minister for Housing has said.
It follows discussions between Darragh O'Brien and the Government party leaders last night.
The minister defended the decision, saying it was done to avoid storing up further problems.
The Government, he said, was concerned that an extension of the ban would damage the supply of homes in the long term if more landlords left the rental market.
However, he conceded that the decision might lead to more people becoming homeless in the short term.
2,700 notices to quit were paused when the evictions ban was introduced, he said.
The minister confirmed that the Attorney General's advice noted the "significant risk" of a legal challenge if the ban was extended.
He said the decision was based on a number of factors, including the AG's advice.
Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, Mr O'Brien said he wants to expediate the purchasing of homes by local authorities so they can be brought into the public housing supply.
He acknowledged acute strains on emergency housing but said more spaces had opened in the Dublin region and "if we need to do more we will do more."
The minister said: "I am not in anyway saying to people that they should sleep in a garda station or car. We have provided for additional emergency accommodation as well."
Housing Minister confirms that evictions ban will end on March 31st and insists this had to happen in order to avoid "storing up" more problems. pic.twitter.com/titreaE05o
— Mícheál Lehane (@MichealLehane) March 7, 2023
The Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport said maintaining the ban could act as "a deterrent for people renting properties" and result in the market contracting and rents going up.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the coalition leaders last night discussed "putting in new provisions to protect renters".
Speaking as he arrived at this morning's Cabinet meeting, Mr Ryan said the measures include giving renters the first refusal if someone is selling a property where they are in situ or for an Approved Housing Body to take on the property and operate it as a cost-rental type housing solution.
'Wrong and thoughtless' decision - Hourigan
However Green Party TD for Dublin Central Neasa Hourigan said the decision is completely "wrong and thoughtless" and that people will lose their homes over the coming weeks.
"I genuinely do not know where we are going to put people who inevitably become homeless," she said.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Ms Hourigan said it was very disappointing that there was no one in the room last night to speak up for Green Party values and policy.
Mr Ryan did not speak to our policy last night, Ms Hourigan said, because the Green Party policy is that the eviction ban should be extended until the crisis has been addressed in some way.
She said she is a Green Party politician and she wants to be in politics to reflect Green Party ethics and policies.
Coalition does restrain this, she admitted, but that is something she has to deal with.
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Lifting of eviction ban will lead to 'tsunami' of homelessness
Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin described it as shameful and cruel, adding that it will lead to more people becoming homeless.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Ó Broin said the end of the eviction ban could see an increase in rough sleeping and a return to a situation where families with children are forced to seek refuge at garda stations.
Concern more people could end up homeless - Threshold
The CEO of housing charity Threshold has warned that the lifting of the ban will result in an increase in homelessness in the short-term.
John-Mark McCafferty said local authorities are already stretched in terms of emergency accommodation.
He said the numbers of evictions did increase during the ban, but things would have been much worse had it not been in place.
"I think it's a very superficial analysis to say the numbers for the ban didn't work. I think it's important to look at the counterfactual and to see that, you know, without that ban over the last number of months, things would have been even worse," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman for Children Niall Muldoon has said he is "concerned" about the decision to end the eviction ban.
"I thought all the mood music was suggesting a continuation. But we've continuously and consistently said that we are focused on the children who are homeless.
"There's 3,500 children, that's only 1,600 family units. So why aren't we focusing on bringing them out of homelessness, providing them with some sort of safe, secure social housing so that they're out of it but at the same time, preventing people falling further into it?
"I haven't seen the plans from today onwards as to how they're going to prevent that trap door opening for people who have been saved by the moratorium.
"So, it's a wait and see, but I'm concerned and again, the Government and the Taoiseach himself has committed to a child poverty unit.
"And children and homelessness has to be a serious consideration from that point of view to be eradicated if we're going to make this the best country in Europe to live as a child."
Additional reporting Fergal O'Brien, Paul Cunningham & Karen Creed
