Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The rent cap was supported by a very large majority in this House when it was introduced. The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government subsequently introduced a range of new protections for renters. The core issue is that until we increase the supply of housing stock in all sectors, including affordable rental and cost rental, as we are doing, we are not going to see reductions in rents, which is what we want. We can try to swim against the tide and force a rent freeze on a stock that is not sufficient in volume or we can try to get more houses built across all tenures so that renters have a choice of where they want to rent and people who want to purchase a house can afford to do so.

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