Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill, which proposes some very welcome measures, for example, the implementation of the Kenny report, the imposition of a limit on the cost of land purchased under compulsory purchase orders and the limiting of rent increases to rises in the consumer price index. I also welcome the proposed change to the definition of "landlord" to include vulture funds and real estate investment trusts, REITS. It is clear the Government and Fianna Fáil Party intend to amend the Bill so as to make it unrecognisable. Whether the proposed measures go far enough is an argument I would like to address.

By any measure, the housing crisis is an historic crisis, which is the outcome of the crash and the political influence of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties, which were led and influenced for decades by developers, builders and vested interests. It is also the result of the policies pursued by this Government and the previous Government, of which Deputy Jan O'Sullivan and the Labour Party were members. As the crisis unfolded and worsened, what was the response of the Government and its predecessor? The reason we have 140,000 families in housing need-----

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