David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was chastised in the past. I do not mind being interrupted. The Minister went on to say, "I do not believe that linking rent increases to the consumer price index is an approach that serves the interests of landlords or tenants". The Minister should have put a full stop after the word "landlords". He cannot say it about tenants. Is the Minister saying that tenants will favour an annual 4% increase in the next three years, a potential increase of 12% overall? While it will not apply to everybody, some will be subject to it. Is he saying this is better for tenants than linking it to the CPI, which would be a minimum of 0.7%? It will not serve the interests of tenants. It may serve the interests of landlords.

Deputy O'Dowd referred to the Opposition being critical of landlords. I know many landlords. They are decent people. I have no difficulty, in principle, with people who rent out homes. There are many decent landlords and there are many who are not decent. I am not against a private rented sector as such. However, I am of the view that the State has a role to play in providing public and social housing and that it has failed in this regard. This entirely misses the point. Wanting reasonable rents and affordability is not anti-landlord or trying to squeeze landlords unfairly. This is all about trying to help struggling families.

The Minister stated that there is a need to ensure a "reasonable rate of return on investment". This is the most significant statement the Minister has made today. For Fine Gael, that is what it is all about. It is about investment and investors. It is about protecting investors, not protecting tenants, families and ordinary working people. Fine Gael is protecting those who have money.

It is about protecting a certain class. It is about protecting the elites, not ordinary people.

The Minister spoke about rent pressure zones. We have a saying in Waterford, "Call a spade a spade." The Minister may have forgotten that Waterford exists. There are problems and rent pressures in Waterford as well. Waterford is not too far from Cork. The Minister knows where it is. It does exist. Families in Waterford have problems just like families in Cork-----

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