Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tonight's debate provides us with the opportunity to discuss solutions to the housing crisis in the rental sector rather than continue to play politics with the national emergency caused by the failure of current Government policies in respect of the rental sector.

Rents are at an all-time high and many families cannot afford their rent because of the rack-renting taking place in certain parts of the country. We have the perfect storm whereby rental units are leaving the market and being placed in the sales market, thus reducing the supply of homes for rent and putting extra pressure on families, particularly in the Dublin area and the wider commuter belt, including County Wicklow where I live.

The market based approach to the rental sector taken by Fine Gael in government is simply not good enough. Fine Gael had to be dragged kicking and screaming to introduce the rental pressure zones some years ago. I pointed out at the time that the best way of introducing the pressure zones would have been to introduce a national rent pressure zone and then remove areas that did not need to have such measures. Instead, the scheme has been reluctantly expanded, which has caused total confusion in the rental sector in County Wicklow regarding which areas are included in and excluded from the rent pressure zones, and the reasons for doing so. The lack of a coherent policy response by the Government to the rental sector has created deep uncertainty for tenants and landlords.

Fianna Fáil has introduced a number of Bills to address the rental crisis. Our recent Overcrowded Housing Bill provides for a new statutory definition of overcrowded housing to replace the outdated 1966 definition and the limited penalties currently used. The aim of the Bill is to provide clarity to ensure that landlords cannot exploit the current rental crisis to impose unsafe and substandard living accommodation. It sets the basic minimum, not the preferred option. The Fianna Fáil Bill would strengthen the legislative framework for tackling overcrowding and it should be reinforced by additional resources to local authorities to roll out comprehensive inspections.

Rents are at an all-time high. In the short-term letting sector entire homes and apartments are being rented to tourists while children and families are being accommodated in hotels, including my hotel in Glendalough, which is 50 km from Dublin city centre. Fianna Fáil introduced a Bill to control the unprecedented expansion of the short-term letting sector and the impact it is having on the rental market. Tonight, in Dublin alone, more than 4,600 homes and apartments are available on just one of the short-term letting platforms, the majority of which should be available to long-term tenants and not tourists. As a party, Fianna Fáil has always supported families in their aspiration to own a home of their own. We know that these families are failing to save for their future. The excuse that people prefer to rent is often used to explain reduced ownership levels. However, that ignores the growing difficulties that young families are experiencing in saving for a deposit in a rip-off rental market while faced with greater credit constraints. We introduced the Planning and Development (Amendment) (First-Time Buyers) Bill to give these families a chance.

A moral and ethical imperative must apply when it comes to the rental sector in housing. Spreadsheet focus and profit margin expansion must be limited by the common good. As we all know, the constitutional provision enshrining private property rights subjects those rights to the common good. The common good is being negatively affected by the rent profiteering in certain parts of the country, especially the greater Dublin area. This cannot be allowed to continue in the face of the housing and homelessness emergency. Responsible government mandates radical action in emergency circumstances to protect citizens from the risks and consequences of homelessness.

Fianna Fáil, as a solution based party, is willing to allow this Bill pass this Stage in order to introduce changes that make it workable. Fianna Fáil is making it clear tonight that there are no sacred cows in our determination to tackle the housing crisis. Fianna Fáil will introduce all measures needed to provide homes for all Irish people.

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