The Residential Tenancies Act 2020 introduces a general ban on evictions from residential dwellings during the emergency period. This Act operates in addition to the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 which already provides certain protections to tenants who are otherwise in danger of being evicted due to a non-payment of rent. The protections in the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 are due to expire on 10 January 2021. 
Duration on Ban
The emergency period is defined as the period that persons are restricted from travelling beyond 5 km of their place of residence, i.e. so long as the Level 5 restrictions currently in operation remain in place in Ireland. The current Level 5 restrictions have been imposed for the 6 week period commencing at midnight on 21 October 2020 . The protections will operate so long as such restrictions operate and they will apply automatically if further new Level 5 restrictions are imposed in the future.
Effect of the Ban
The ban provides that if any notice of termination of a residential tenancy was due to expire during an emergency period it will be deemed to not take effect until 10 days after the expiry of the emergency period. If a notice of termination was due to take effect after the expiry of an emergency period, the termination date shall be extended by the duration of such emergency period plus 10 days.
If a termination notice had already expired before the commencement of the emergency period and the tenant(s) had remained in occupation until the start of that emergency period, that tenant will be entitled to remain in occupation until the date 10 days after the expiry of the emergency period.
Exclusions
The ban does not apply to tenancies that are been terminated for the following reasons:
(a) anti-social behaviour;
(b) the tenant has invalidated a policy of insurance for the property;
(c) the dwelling is being used for non-residential use without the consent of the landlord; or
(d) the tenant behaves in a manner that threatens the property.
Commercial Tenancies
The protections of this Act only apply to residential tenancies, the subject of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 so they will not interfere with the rights of commercial landlords. Another bill, the Residential Tenancies (Extension of Eviction Ban) Bill 2020 has been proposed that would offer wider protections which appear to extend to commercial tenancies, however as of the date hereof, that Bill has not been enacted.