Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Renters in this country are in a precarious position. Job loss brought on by Covid-19 has meant that those who were already struggling to meet high rents before the pandemic are now barely staying above water. Sadly, many people's hopes of moving out of the rental market have been derailed by the events of the past year. Their plans of home ownership have had to be put on hold. Young families and working professionals in their late twenties and in their thirties have been hit hard in this pandemic and the uncertainty of being a renter has only compounded that.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Government stepped in to provide emergency legislation that froze rents and placed a temporary ban on evictions during lockdown level 5 restrictions. It aimed to protect residents financially impacted by Covid-19 and to minimise movement while we are all subject to the 5 km restrictions. For those whose incomes suffered as a result of the pandemic and who did not know where their next rental payment was coming from, this legislation became a real lifeline. As we come to the end of that emergency legislation, we still find ourselves in a difficult situation and once again the Government is stepping in to protect vulnerable renters.

The Residential Tenancies Bill will extend parts of the emergency provisions to ensure that protections are extended, even when the 5 km limit is extended. This means that renters who have lost their job or income will not lose their home as well. This time last year we could not have foreseen that we would be further extending our emergency rental response to Covid-19 for the fourth time. It was never meant to be a permanent measure. As the vaccine roll-out ramps up, I know that we are all hopeful that we will not be in this situation for much longer. However, renters who have lost their job due to Covid need our assurance that they will be protected until we beat this virus. That is exactly what the Residential Tenancies Bill will provide.

In this last year we have been told time and again to stay at home. For many of us, our homes have become our sanctuary and by now we are well acquainted with every inch of them. Our homes have become a symbol of safety and somewhere to shelter from the uncertainty, and sometimes the dangers, of the outside world. This Residential Tenancies Bill will ensure that renters who have lost their job due to Covid will not also lose their home.

However, there is another cohort of renters that we need to support. What about all the couples and individuals who have saved hard for their deposit and are ready to buy their own home, but whose plans have been upturned through no fault of their own because of Covid? I am talking about the people who have their deposit saved, their mortgage approval in place and may even have an offer in on a new home. Unfortunately, for many in this situation, their mortgage approval has been rescinded because their employer has been availing of Government supports to subsidise their wages. These people are still working. Most of them are still taking home the same pay and they still have their savings. They still deserve to move on to the next stage of their lives. I ask the Minister to commit to looking at ways of enabling people in this situation to realise their dream of owning their own home.

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