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

I join the Taoiseach in extending our sympathy to and expressing our solidarity with Laura's family and friends as they remember her today. I am also sorry to hear of the passing of John Browne. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Yesterday the United Nations' special rapporteur for adequate housing lists, Leilani Farha, issued a damning condemnation of the Government's record on housing for allowing vulture funds to buy up large numbers of properties across the State, only to let them at scandalous prices. She said the Government was facilitating the financialisation of housing through providing preferential tax breaks for corporate landlords and standing over weak tenant protections. We know from last month's homelessness figures that there are now more homeless persons in the State than at any time in our history. The figure is almost 10,000. There are tens of thousands of people on council housing waiting lists, while social and affordable homes are being constructed at a snail's pace. People in the private rental sector are being hit time and again, with rent increases continuing to spiral, and all the while house prices continue to rise. For many, owning a home is now nothing but a pipedream.

The response from the Taoiseach and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has been to stick with the plan and let the market do its thing. It may not have occurred to the Taoiseach yet but his plan is not working. It is failing spectacularly and the housing system in the State is broken. This is not just my assessment or that of Sinn Féin but the verdict of the United Nations that corporate interests are trumping the needs of ordinary people and families in the housing market. In the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis, we have the likes of Ires Reit and Blackstone making massive profits, paying minimal taxes and fleecing tenants. It is ridiculous, unacceptable and must stop.

We need a radical rethink and action to benefit those who are struggling and in need of a much-needed break. Will the Taoiseach accept that there is an urgent need to rein in corporate interests in the private rental market? It is not that solutions have not been offered because there are solutions. The Taoiseach and the Minister have refused to act and listen. True to form, their partners in Fianna Fáil bury their heads in the sand, too. The Government could do the right and necessary things. It could introduce with immediate effect a three-year rent freeze and temporary tax relief for renters. It could support the legislation that will be brought before the Dáil by Deputy Eoin Ó Broin tomorrow to prevent buy-to-let landlords from seeking vacant possession. The Government could avail of and implement these alternatives. We need bold and meaningful action because the UN assessment of the Government's failures needs to be a wake-up call. Does the Taoiseach accept the assessment of the UN special rapporteur?

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