Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the past hour, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has launched publically the rental strategy which has been worked on extensively in recent months. The rental strategy covers a number of areas relating to security which will bring greater certainty to tenants and landlords. It covers supply and will maintain levels of existing rental stock and promote additional supply through a variety of measures. It covers standards to improve the quality and management of rental accommodation. It covers services in respect of broadening and strengthening the role and powers of the Residential Tenancies Board to more effectively provide key services to tenants and landlords. There will be an extensive discussion on this today at the Oireachtas committee.

Obviously, this is an issue that is complex and not easy to resolve. The fundamental flaw in the situation that has arisen regarding the construction sector has been the lack of supply of housing. That is the fundamental issue. Rents in this city, Cork and a number of other areas throughout the country have begun to increase. It is happening to an extraordinary extent in Dublin. The Minister now proposes to intervene in the market to bring predictability in respect of the increases allowed and the time limits imposed. This measure is being taken to limit the scale of increases in rent and to provide predictability and certainty for tenants, many of whom are hard-pressed, in houses in two cities where there is a distinct shortage of supply. This is not a blanket intervention in the market for an indefinite period. It is focused and targeted on areas subject to increases in rent over a period as determined and approved as rent pressure zones by the Minister for Housing, Planning Community and Local Government.

I do not accept the argument of Deputy Adams in respect of this not going far enough. This has been a difficult situation for the Minister to attempt to rectify. Obviously, the housing market nationally suffers from a serious lack of supply. This is where the other elements of the comprehensive housing strategy brought in by the Minister are focused. A time limit is set out in a focused and strategic way in the interests of tenants and landlords.

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