Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Commitments contained in the recent strategy for the private rental sector, published as per the programme for Government, aim to encourage banks and landlord borrowers to agree solutions to buy-to-let arrears. The latest figures show that 7,148 people, including over 2,500 children, were in emergency accommodation in the week before Christmas 2016. That is an increase of 36% year on year and a 91% hike on figures seen two years ago. It is out of control. We know that the single greatest cause of families losing their homes at present is the sale of buy-to-let properties in the rented sector.

At the end of last year, Focus Ireland proposed an amendment to the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill that would have made it more difficult for professional landlords to evict tenants on those grounds. We supported the amendment, but it was blocked by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

We do not believe that it will be possible to get agreement between landlords and banks on the basis of the current rental strategy.

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