Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In respect of the current situation in housing, Threshold has said that without longer term rent certainty, tenants will continue to face the risk of homelessness due to unaffordable rent increases. This emphasises the nature of the problem in the State. Rent certainty can protect against homelessness as it gives certainty to the tenants and a safety net against one of the most serious deprivations in life, which is to lose one's home. Rent is one of the major outgoings of any household. As such, it governs other payments and so much of people's daily living expenses. We have seen a rise in rents with zero protection for tenants. The Bill put forward by Sinn Féin provides against gross, inconsistent and erratic variations in individual rents. We are seeing directly on the ground the consequences of large rises in rents faced by our constituents and the impact they have on people's lives. In north County Dublin, taking in my own constituency of Dublin Bay North, rents have risen at an average rate of 10.2% compared to the same period last year. With the rise in property prices and the shortage of social housing, people are left with only one option, which is to rent. They are being placed at the whim of the market and private landlords. If rents rise suddenly and substantially, where are people to turn? This has forced many of our people into homelessness.

The Bill can provide families with a degree of certainty in regard to the very basic matters of a roof over their heads and their weekly incomes. What is the purpose of a Government if not to ensure that it looks after the needs of its citizens? A starting point should be the very basic need for housing assistance and creating stability in the market for the protection of citizens.

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