Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We can all safely say we were shocked by the RTÉ programme "Nightmare to Let", which showed how some landlords are exploiting tenants to rack up huge profits. We were shocked but I very much doubt that we were surprised because the housing crisis has been growing every year. The response of the Government has been slow and, frankly, it has been too little, too late. The undersupply of social and affordable housing and rocketing rents have allowed the return of what used to be called "slum landlords". These individuals are exploiting vulnerable people. They are putting people's lives in danger by cramming them into unsafe buildings. In some instances, there were 16 people in one room. The landlords get away with this because of the lack of inspections and resources to carry out enforcement in the sector.

I welcome the proposal by the housing charity Threshold that calls for an NCT-style system to ensure private rental accommodation is up to standard. It is a common-sense idea that needs to be pursued.

Those landlords who either refuse to register their properties or who are not meeting the minimum legal standards must face serious penalties. A slap on the wrist or a small fine is not good enough. We need to get tough with them because they are placing the lives of citizens in danger while they make huge profits. That cannot be allowed to continue.

I call on all parties to support this motion. It is long past the time for the Government to get serious and to introduce serious measures to deal with the rental market. This is just one concrete proposal that can make a difference until we bring about an end to the housing crisis. We all know the crisis will only end by building social and affordable housing.

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