Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not think substantial refurbishments justify higher rents because rents are completely out of control at the moment and we should not allow any other mechanisms for rents to be raised over and above where they are. I do not think that doing things to an apartment or other property that need to be done should justify massive rent increases. Rents are not set at affordable levels and the Government is doing nothing to set them at affordable levels. Other amendments of mine will deal with other aspects of the problem but we should not provide any mechanism for landlords to put up rents that are already excessive, extortionate and unaffordable.