Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important issue. It is important we understand that we deal with any issues that relate to residual debt, particularly, with renters, due to losing jobs or income because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Deputy will be aware, tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the Covid-19 emergency period and in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with landlords at the earliest opportunity. My Department recently published a guidance document on Covid-19 support for both tenants and landlords that sets out emergency rental measures, income and other supports available to tenants and landlords during this emergency period. That document is available on the Residential Tenancies Board's website and it is also a frequently asked question so it is pretty handy. It is prominent on that site to help people.

Regarding the ESRI report, as the Deputy will be aware, my Department operated a programme of collaborative research principally focused on housing economics. Under this programme, researchers from the institute and my Department prepared a research paper exploring the short-run implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on the private rental market. The research paper is focused on rental payment affordability and the potential incidents of arrears during the first three months of the pandemic among non-supported private market renting households, that is, among renting households that did not receive any housing subsidies. Changes in consumption patterns arising from public health measures are also considered in the paper. I am glad to say the preliminary research findings do not identify a significant rent arrears problem emerging during the first three months of the pandemic. I do not have that report yet, but I have been in contact with the ESRI and expect to receive it in the coming days. Once I receive it, I intend to share and publish it because it will be important that we work on it together as an Oireachtas.

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