A special meeting of Dublin City Council has voted in favour of a motion to extend the ban on evictions until the end of the year, with the motion supported by some Fianna Fáil and Green Party councillors.
The Sinn Féin motion also called for an expansion of the tenant-in-situ scheme for social and affordable cost rental tenants, and to use emergency planning and procurement powers to target vacant and derelict properties and new building technologies to deliver additional social and affordable homes above the targets for this year.
Cllr Daithí Doolan of Sinn Féin said the special meeting was designed to deal with what he said would be the tsunami of evictions brought about by the end of the eviction ban.
"The decision to reverse the ban on evictions by this Government is a cold and calculated attack on some of the most vulnerable people in society," he said.
Labour Party Cllr Dermot Lacey proposed five addendums to the motion on behalf of the Labour group on the council, which included calling on the Government to engage with the EU commission to change the rules to bring short-term holiday lets to the rental market.
He also proposed asking councillors to identify publicly owned sites in their areas on which a minimum of eight social or affordable or cost rental homes could be built through the city with local co-operatives and approved housing bodies.
The addendum also called on Dublin City Council to accelerate and increase plans to recruit apprentices to relevant building trades, discuss with the Department of Housing how to speed up renovations and to speed up the planning and construction of local authority builds.
Cllr Deirdre Cronin of PBP said the housing situation showed the "conscious cruelty of Tory policy".
Cllr Maura Devine of Sinn Féin said it was cruel that the Government had "cut-down" so many people in this country.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Deirdre Heany rejected accusations that her party doesn't care about homelessness.
She rejected Labour’s addendum saying that Alan Kelly as Minister for Housing "destroyed the housing list".
Cllr Donna Cooney of the Green Party highlighted the measures Government had introduced to deal with the ending of the eviction ban.
Cllr James Geoghegan of Fine Gael said that while the period when the eviction ban lapses "will be challenging", he said the measures and funding the Government are providing will safeguard vulnerable tenants.
Independent Councillor John Lyons said the situation was "obscene", that housing is a class issue and he accused Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party of not caring about the housing situation.
Fine Gael Cllr Naoise O Muiri said he wanted to ask Sinn Féin if there is an eviction ban in operation in Northern Ireland and if not why not.
The motion was passed by 37 votes to eight, with four members abstaining.
Of the nine Fianna Fáil councillors in attendance, seven voted in favour of the motion and two against.
Of the nine Green Party councillors on the council, five voted in favour, two were against and two abstained, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Speaking after the vote, Cllr Doolan welcomed the result.
"I am delighted that Dublin City Council voted overwhelmingly to support a Sinn Féin motion calling on the Government to reinstate the eviction ban.
"Government parties could only muster up eight votes to oppose this important motion. Tonight's vote sends a very loud, clear message to the Government. Ireland's largest local authority demands Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to do the right thing and immediately reinstate the eviction ban."
