Fr Peter McVerry has stuck by his claim that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar overruled Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien on extending the eviction ban, despite protests from Government.
The homelessness campaigner claimed on Monday that sources had informed him that the Fianna Fáil Minister was in favour of extending the ban.
Speaking to South East Radio, Fr McVerry said that this was "overridden" by the Taoiseach.
READ MORE: Taoiseach denies he overruled Darragh O'Brien on extending eviction ban.
Spokespeople for both the Taoiseach and Minister O’Brien denied these suggestions to the Irish Mirror.
However, speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, the priest stood by his claims. He would not reveal the source of his information.
Fr McVerry said: "I’m not [resiling from what I said]. But I can't produce the evidence because I can't reveal my sources.
"So the discussion, as far as I'm concerned, ends here.
"I'm saying one thing, the Government are saying another and we can't go any further.
"I can understand why the Taoiseach is denying it. This is the most controversial and, I think, the worst decision this Government have made in its lifetime.
"They have to present a united front. They can't be seen to be having cracks within the Government over this decision. So I understand that.
"But if you look at the evidence, even for five months the eviction ban was in place and not one single measure was taken to mitigate the effect of that ban whenever it was lifted, which suggests, apart from my claim, that this decision was a last-minute rush decision, which was not anticipated."
Fr McVerry also said that he believes reports that the Government chose not to extend the ban out of fear that ending it next year could affect the European and local elections which are due to take place in May 2024.
He added: "It sounds pretty reasonable to me that this decision was made as a political decision."
Fr McVerry argued that the Government should have put legislation in place "five months ago" before the ban was lifted as he criticised the Dáil for going on recess days before the ban ended.
He also said that the "spat between him and the Taoiseach" was a "distraction" from the eviction ban controversy and the number of people who are going to struggle to find somewhere to live.
He warned that there is going to be a "tsunami of misery" coming down the tracks.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Mr Varadkar denied Fr McVerry’s suggestion that he overruled Minister O’Brien.
He said: "That claim is 100 per cent untrue. There is zero evidence to support it.
"The Minister for Housing recommended back in October that we put in place a temporary winter eviction ban. The Government, including me, agreed with that recommendation.
"A few weeks ago, on foot of advice from his officials, three options were put before the party leaders.
"[Minister O’Brien] recommended option one, which was that we should not continue with the temporary winter eviction ban for reasons he has explained.
"That is the absolute 100 per cent truth of it. The claim is 100 per cent untrue."
A spokesperson for Minister O’Brien, meanwhile, said that he "firmly believes that the decision to end the winter eviction moratorium, as planned on March 31, is the correct decision."
They added: "The Minister has said this consistently and there is no question of him being overruled as suggested."
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