Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This Government has a real opportunity here to shape how it responds to the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis and how it responds to the significant challenges that will be faced by families and individuals as they struggle to pay their mortgages or their rent. If we are to learn any lessons from the previous crisis, it has to be that ordinary people do not pay the price for the economic collapse. The last time we bailed out our financial institutions and we socialised the bank debt. Ordinary people paid the price and many people are still paying a price as both their homes and lands are under threat.

In March of this year, the United Nations condemned Ireland for allowing multinational vulture funds to buy up vast numbers of properties and rent them out at sky-high rents. It described this as an egregious practice in Ireland. That is what happened the last time. We know that we now have a chance to change our response and support our citizens.

It is important to state that before we entered the Covid-19 crisis we had more than 27,000 people in long-term rent arrears. For those people Covid-19 has simply exacerbated the problem.

In the programme for government, the Government has promised a referendum on housing. If that commitment is real, and I believe it is, then we need to make a start now, today. We cannot say that we will start tomorrow or the next day. We cannot say we will protect our renters and those in mortgage arrears because of Covid-19 but that we will do it next week or next year. We have to start now.

Everybody agrees that this is a time of unprecedented change and unprecedented challenge, and we need to respond to it in an unprecedented way. That way will have to ensure that the Covid-19 crisis will not exacerbate the current inequalities in the housing sector.

In that context, I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this Private Members' motion, because it highlights the crucial issue that many people are really fearful and concerned about having a roof over their heads in three months or six months. As Deputies we meet them, we read their emails, and take their telephone calls. If they knew that there would be an extension to the moratorium on evictions, then they would have some hope that they too could get through this crisis. I have spoken about help for small businesses, and the core of it is to give people hope to start again. If we extend this moratorium on evictions, it will give people hope that they can continue.

To give people belief that this Government will support them as citizens, we have to ensure that the banks and the financial institutions do not charge penalties or surcharges on mortgage arrears that have occurred during this period.

Nobody can profit from this pandemic. Nobody can get rich on the backs of others and nobody can deny hope to those who struggle to pay their mortgage or their rent. This Government is in a position to ensure that nobody profits. This Private Members' motion is as good a place as any to start.

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