Eviction ban bill passes in Dáil after junior housing minister forgets to oppose in ‘rookie error’

An opposition bill proposing a 12-month extension to the winter eviction ban has unexpectedly passed its first reading in the Dáil, after the government forgot to oppose it in a self-described “rookie error”.

It comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that the government will make a decision on whether it will extend the eviction ban before St Patrick’s Day.

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing, has said extending a ban on evictions would be ...