John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms O'Reilly.

I have questions for the IPOA and IPAV. I will preface my remarks by saying I am a renter. There are a number of reasons cited as contributing factors as to why Threshold has dealt with more notices to quit in the past six months than it did prior to the pandemic. We are all aware of them. Prices have risen. Many properties have gone out of negative equity and landlords are leaving the market because it is no longer a desirable profession. We will tease out some of the reasons this may be the case. The witnesses have cited issues with taxation, inefficiencies and bureaucracy of regulation and specific issues with the RTB. I want to look at some of the additional points that often do not get spoken about but that I hear about privately as an Oireachtas Member when I deal with these matters. Do both organisations feel that landlords have been vilified by so-called independent commentators and many Opposition politicians when speaking about the rental market, although they all know the importance of having a proper functioning rental market and the importance of having landlords? Do they feel this has been the case in recent years?