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

I agree it is an improvement to move rent supplementation to local government, for all of the reasons outlined by the Minister, particularly in terms of people seeking employment. I agree also that the long-term solution to this, or even the medium-term solution, is a major social housing programme, which would be better value for everybody and would far better secure the wants and aspirations of people for a secure roof over their heads. I hope the Minister will announce that we are to move away from the disastrous Fianna Fáil policy and towards building social housing. In the interim, however, rent caps in areas where rents are rising must be dealt with as a matter of urgency because, while I accept rents are falling in other areas, we must have realistic caps.

I also ask that action be taken to make it illegal for landlords to say that rent allowance tenants will not be accepted, which is, frankly, the modern Irish equivalent of "No dogs, no blacks, no Irish," the phrase on the horrific signs that were used in Britain not 20 or 30 years ago. It is used to prevent people who need to rent property from getting it by landlords who seem to discriminate against people simply because they are unfortunate enough to need rent support or are unemployed. It is obnoxious and is also a major obstacle to people in finding the little bit of affordable rental accommodation that is available.

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