Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Minister for this opportunity to ask questions. We are aware that the people are still experiencing a housing crisis that is only being compounded by Covid-19. Last year, the State invested €700 million into the private market through the housing assistance payment, HAP, fuelling the tenancy market to extraordinary rent levels. Under this Government, 10,000 people are homeless even though we are the fifth wealthiest nation in the world per capita. I truly hope those people are in the Minister's sights in the Covid-19 recovery and that the State ceases to be party to the provision of private developer-led housing on public land, at least until we have secured housing for those who are homeless, those living with their parents, those locked out of the market and others living in cars.

We truly have an opportunity to reboot a broken economic system which is profit-driven to create one which is circular, providing sustainable employment in the construction, energy, agriculture and transport sectors and which is centred on the well-being of people and the environment that sustains them.

I have a series of questions that address student accommodation, rent freezes, evictions and direct provision, among others. What measures is the Minister taking to address the issues of students not receiving pro ratarefunds from privately owned purpose built student accommodation? His Department advised that affected students contact the Residential Tenancies Board, but the only advice given by it is to refer back to the students' fixed-term tenancy agreement. The majority of privately owned, purpose built student accommodations are refusing to offer refunds to students, with many places refusing to offer a refund unless the individual can find somebody to replace them, this in the midst of a global pandemic. As a result, students have been left in precarious circumstances due to losing their part-time work to service their commitments.

Will the Minister tell me what is being done by his Department to support the University of Limerick in issuing refunds for on-campus accommodation to its students? It has been well communicated by the university that it is facing an unsustainable deficit that will prevent it from meeting operating costs and issuing pro ratarefunds.

Will the Minister commit to extending both the ban on evictions and the rent freeze for a minimum of three months to cushion the economic blow and ensure the security and safety of the people as the State recovers from Covid-19? Spain has introduced such measures as well as ordering large landlords to cut rents by as much as 50% and to restructure payments over three years to help those impacted by Covid-19.

It would be remiss of me not to highlight the plight of the families living in direct provision housing, if it can be called that. Will the Minister illustrate what is being done to alleviate the suffering of families in direct provision?

What measures are being taken to ensure that people living in direct provision will be able to live in accommodation where social distancing, self-isolation and cocooning is possible?

Thousands of homeowners around the country have been paying huge bills, in some cases for years, because of housing defects, particularly in apartments. There was no relief for them from the monthly levies and service charges in the Government's emergency legislation, which has caused great worry and hardship. Can the Minister confirm that the Government will provide some support for those people such as a 90-day freeze from paying levies that renters have been given?

The 18 May date to open construction sites is important and welcome, considering that a massive building and deep retrofitting programme is required to house and facilitate families. It is essential to provide sustainable employment and reduce our CO2 emissions at an annual 7% reduction to meet the Paris Agreement requirements. In the recovery, this State has a huge opportunity to reboot employment through circular economics.

Post Covid-19, will the Minister commit to ending the housing assistance payment, HAP, system and adopt a State-led solution to the housing crisis that does not compete with the private market? The HAP system saw some €700 million paid out last year to rent subsidy. Profit-driven policies see institutional investors constructing build-to-rent schemes and co-living accommodation. That keeps the current generation out of the housing market and creates a transient workforce. Those policies do not serve the people of the State; they only increase profits of banks and developers.

Finally, post Covid-19, will the Minister commit to public land being used exclusively for cost rental and affordable purchase housing developments and not allow any further private development and exploitation of public land?

See this speech in context