Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also agree with the Minister that landlords and the private rental sector are a key part of our housing system. I live in the private rental sector. I choose to live there and I want to continue living there. I am very happy to say, without hesitation, that we need a private rental system that is good for landlords and tenants. One of the values of rent certainty is that, over time, it would help deal with one of the systemic problems in our private rental sector, namely, too many accidental landlords who are governed, through no fault of their own in many cases, by short-term thinking rather than long-term, stable activity in the market. Deputy John Paul Phelan confuses rent controls and rent certainty. It is a pity he does not study hard enough to know the difference between the two. They are fundamentally different propositions and he will find many examples of rent certainty that make a positive contribution to other member states.

I say to the Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, that I am guided by the evidence. There is no evidence to suggest that what the previous Government introduced in November is working. While the latest figures show the rate of rent price inflation is beginning to slow, it is still increasing. When the spat between the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, first arose and the deadline was enacted for the new rent review regulations, there was a spike in rents and many people experienced two years worth of rent increases rather than one.

For those reasons, Sinn Féin will press the Bill and will continue to argue for it. If the Minister includes rent certainty in his action plan on housing, I will welcome it. I will wait and see. I am confused by Fianna Fáil's position, however. Deputy Barry Cowen spoke much about the rules but I am not sure what they are because when Sinn Féin introduced our first Private Members' motion, we were told it was not serious and the rules meant one had to introduce legislation. When we introduced legislation, we were told it was not the right way to proceed. While we are told we cannot pre-empt the housing committee, tomorrow Fianna Fáil Senators will bring forward a motion on housing with five specific recommendations to the Government which cover the territory of the housing and homelessness committee. I am most confused by the fact that, on Sunday, a senior spokesperson for Fianna Fáil called for rent certainty, involving linking rent reviews to the consumer price index, to be introduced urgently, yet today we have heard Fianna Fáil Deputies say it is a very bad thing.

I thank Deputies from the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, the Anti-Austerity Alliance and the Independent benches for their support for our Bill. They are right; it is very modest and the private rental sector reform requires much more substantive and radical action. The central point at the heart of the Bill remains that there is an urgent crisis being caused by out of control rents. This modest measure, if enacted, and amended if required on Committee and Report Stages, would make a real difference to people's lives. On that basis, I urge all Deputies to support it.

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