Dr. Michael Byrne:

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for the question. As part of the background to the question, which is extremely important, I will zoom out from the current issues in the private rental sector and from the Irish private rental sector in general and look at the international context. Ireland is just one of a number of jurisdictions that have experienced a rapid rise in the private rental sector and a decline of home ownership during a very similar period. These countries include the US, the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Spain. What is very noticeable from the international evidence is that all of these jurisdictions have experienced similar problems, with residential instability and evictions becoming a characteristic feature of poverty in a way they were not before and with rent increases becoming more common and more difficult to control. Various countries have responded to this in various ways. Some, such as Ireland, Spain and parts of Germany, have introduced rent regulation. Others have not. Some, such as Ireland and Scotland, have strengthened security of tenure and others have not. There have been various responses. The issues are remarkably similar in various jurisdictions. This evidence strongly suggests that experiencing a rapid increase in the private rental sector, which is the most insecure tenure, tends to generate general systemic problems in the housing system. Ireland's problems are particularly acute because it happened in tandem with a catastrophic collapse in supply.