Ms Leilani Farha:

I definitely want to answer it. I will answer in point form. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I ask him to convey my thanks to the 16 families for sharing their difficult situation with me. There is no doubt it is a global phenomenon. Private equity firms are doing this in many countries. I have witnessed it in Sweden, New York, Barcelona and London. I know of nowhere it is considered illegal. Some places deal with it differently from others because some have good protections around when rents can and cannot be escalated and to what extent. It is a matter with which I am seized. I wrote a report a year ago on the financialisation of housing. I identified this as a troubling practice, which is certainly not compliant with governments' human rights obligations. I stress that because it is up to the Government to ensure this does not happen, and to regulate the private sector accordingly and in compliance with its international human rights obligations. The case of these 16 families, which the Deputy described, suggests that it is not being regulated sufficiently, at least not for the 16 families he mentioned. I would very much appreciate more information about that situation because it is a matter with which I am seized.

On the comments made towards the end - I am sorry; I cannot read the members' names - I am not here to assess Ireland and my comments were not to meant to reflect that Ireland is not taking steps. However, when I glance at Rebuilding Ireland, I note that the right to adequate housing is not mentioned, nor does it inform concept, standard or norm. Ireland may not be as successful as it would like to be without that framework. That framework necessitates and requires the right to adequate housing being entrenched either in the Constitution or in some legislative format. I will rest my comments there. I thank all the members for inviting me here. I catapulted in and I appreciate that very much. I hope I got things right and that I contributed to the committee's conversations.