Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Renting in this economy and society is extremely hard, even if one has a decent job and a secure income. It can mean paying a quarter, a third, or even more of one's income to secure half-decent accommodation. It may mean giving up for a long time, perhaps forever, the possibility of ever owning one's own home. The possibility of a permanent home is removed as such people do not qualify for social housing. If the situation is difficult for those on decent incomes with secure work, it is practically impossible for those on lower income or who suffer the slightest misfortune. Deputies on all sides regularly have constituents come to their clinics in respect of this issue. Some of the hardest cases to deal with are people who have received an eviction notice, who may or may not be on a housing list, and who are desperately trying to figure out where they will go. Those on HAP or lower incomes go through their options, look at the lists on daft.ie, ring around and try absolutely everything, but nothing is within their ability to pay.

People are paying far beyond what they can realistically afford for housing. I dealt with a woman last week who was constantly falling into arrears with electricity and gas in order to pay the rent. She would try to meet those bills, but she knew it was ultimately unsustainable. I met a couple a few months ago who had gone into almost €1,000 of arrears just because unpaid bills and arrears mounted up on a place they could, in theory, afford. They found themselves in a desperate situation. They received support from others to clear those arrears and they are managing as best they can, but they are making serious sacrifices to do so. Serious sacrifices are being made by families and workers in every part of this country. The rental situation is utterly unsustainable. In Cork, the average rent is €1,372, which is the highest it has ever been, and it still rising by 5.5%.

The Government will vote against this Bill, but its efforts will be defeated because Fianna Fáil is backing it. I welcome that support, but I am mystified at Fianna Fáil's late conversion. When Sinn Féin first proposed a rent freeze, the national average rent was €960 a month. It is now €1,403. I do not know when the threshold was reached. At what point did rent become too expensive? At what point did the number of homeless people and homeless children get too high? I welcome Fianna Fáil's support of this Bill, but we would be far better off if we had gotten to this point some time ago.

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