Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My time is brief so I will go straight into it. I am not convinced this plan will deliver for renters. Rents are out of control and many people end up paying more in rent than they would on a mortgage. This means, of course, that they cannot even save for a mortgage because they are paying such high rents, and that is a really cruel trap in which to be caught.

It is worth noting that a majority of Berliners recently voted to buy out corporate landlords. How often have we looked to Berlin for the best model of renting? Yet they are experiencing the negative impacts associated with large corporate landlords owning many thousands of units and they want that to stop. They recognise that state intervention is a balancing mechanism and helps to correct market failure.

For this plan to be truly radical, as it must be, there needs to be more State intervention and State action, and I do not just mean legislation. For example, Part V is good and welcome but is not operational soon enough. The 20% must apply now, or at least a very speedy transitional arrangement to get to 20% needs to be put in place. When I speak of State intervention, I am speaking about local authorities. I listened to Deputy McGuinness and others who say local authorities must be a cornerstone of any plan for housing, and I fully agree. They have to be given the resources and the responsibility and they have to be accountable for delivery. The refurbishment of homes is a prime example. Sometimes houses lie idle for months, even years, because there is no money to refurbish them, and the red tape at times is mind-boggling.

The Minister of State knows and I know that the waiting lists for local authorities are a nightmare. In my constituency, in Sligo it is 580, in Leitrim 502, in Roscommon 300 and in Donegal 2,681, and that does not include those on the housing assistance payment, HAP. The Minister of State and I know that fewer and fewer landlords are taking HAP, and that will put greater pressure on the housing list. We need to trust our councillors and our officials and we have to resource them. It will not be perfect but it needs to be done.

I will make a final point on rural housing. Many Deputies have raised it. The Minister of State and I know it is very important in maintaining sustainable communities and taking pressure off our cities. Yes, we are told time and again that rural planning will be given, but many of us from rural constituencies see that being eroded year on year. I am asking the Minister of State to be proactive on this issue because the truth is that, up to now, I do not see that. I do not see it in Sligo and, most especially, I do not see it in Leitrim.

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