Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach says he does not claim my assertions but I am not making personal assertions. The figures do not lie so let me repeat them for the Taoiseach. Almost 4,000 rent arrears warning letters have been sent; over 1,000 notices to quit have been served; and just 475 renters have been protected from a total population of 300,000 registered tenancies. The Government's scheme has failed. That is the fact. The Government's job is to protect all renters who are subjected to extortionate rents and huge insecurity at the time of a massive housing emergency that we suffer and endure, not least because of the Taoiseach's previous time in office.

Is the Taoiseach prepared to do what is necessary? Make no mistake but that what is necessary is the reintroduction of the blanket ban on rent increases, which the Government can do. A ban on notices to quit and evictions is also necessary, at least until the end of this year. The Government should give renters some comfort, protection and assurance that their Government acts for them and is not totally consumed by the interests of developers and landlords.

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