Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing forward this Bill. Rents are too high at the moment. They are impossibly high for many people. I am the housing Minister and I am responsible. I deal with this crisis every day. I deal with it not just in the context of Private Members' business or when I am taking my constituency clinics, but every day. It is my responsibility. The Government is not supporting this Bill because we do not believe it is a solution. In fact, we believe it is the opposite of a solution.

The Opposition will state that this is because we are pro-landlord or only on the side of landlords. That is nonsense. In June, we passed new legislation for tenants that was all about renters' rights. It was all pro-tenant. It was supported by Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil because it was for tenants so they should not forget their own hypocrisy in this debate. Why is it okay to be anti-landlord? Why is it okay to speak against landlords because they are part of providing housing in this country, as they have been for years, and they are a very important part of it? We must find a balance in everything we do. We must protect tenants but we must also ensure that there are landlords operating in this country. As a result of the crash we had so recently, we know that many people became accidental landlords and that they continue to be landlords. Deputy Ó Broin says that being a landlord is a sure bet. Why do we keep seeing landlords leaving the market if it is a sure bet? Others in opposition will say that we are ideologically opposed to rent freezes. That is rubbish. We are not ideologically opposed to any solution we believe will work, but where is the evidence that this will not cause more harm? Where is the evidence that it will not mean a loss of supply in the rental sector?

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