Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In respect of homelessness and housing, we come across people paying very high rent who cannot get any result if the house is damp or cold, the heating does not work, the landlord will do nothing and they go to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, and the battle goes on. They feel they cannot get anywhere. On the other side, there are people in rented accommodation who do not pay the rent. The landlord may put up with them for a year or two but cannot get anything out of them. Eventually when the landlord gets them out they are left with a big bill which has been unpaid for a long time. The tenant gets a house somewhere but the landlord wonders why they are letting houses to people who will not pay the rent. They feel they have no come back because the first question a solicitor will ask is whether the person has any assets or money. If the landlord says they do not seem to that causes a huge problem. I am sure every public representative comes across this regularly. If the individual does not have means the landlord has to put up with it. There is an injustice there as well. Is there a solution to that type of situation?