Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As we are all aware, renters are under extreme pressure at the moment. We all know from our clinics and from talking to people on the street or our friends and family members the stress and strain that renters feel at the moment. There is a lot of talk of the housing crisis in Dublin, where it is horrendous, but it is equally horrendous in Galway. My experience tells that people are facing real pressure on a daily and monthly basis in trying to pay their rents. As Deputy Pearse Doherty has pointed out, we have long been calling for a proposed tax credit. As he said, we have heard from the Government that the effect could be to inflate rents. We have always said it would have to be introduced alongside a ban on rent increases. My concern is that if the Government does not introduce a rent freeze, this measure will put further pressure on families and individuals who are struggling to pay for their accommodation. Many renters feel there is no end or hope in sight. Galway is the place I can best reference and there is little rental property available in Galway. There is concern that this will add to the pressure that people are already facing if a rent freeze is not also introduced. I am interested to hear if the Minister is considering a rent freeze to ensure this measure has the benefit it intends.