Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Young people have borne the brunt of the pandemic. They are stuck at home, many with parents, or are renting and paying huge rent. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the Residential Tenancies Bill (No. 2) Bill 2021 comes before the Dáil later today. This is further emergency legislation, but it will not deal with the issues in respect of which renters need a break. We need to close the loophole in regard to the 8% rent increase. The Bill, as published, does not do that. It merely extends protections for those who proactively register as financially impacted by Covid-19 and makes exceptions for people experiencing an extreme financial impact. The numbers registering as being financially impacted are very low, at approximately 475 to date, compared to the thousands of people renting who will not be covered by the Bill and will be subject to the 8% rent increase in rent pressure zones.

Many tenants, especially those living in Dublin, are already paying an average of €2,000 per month. They cannot afford an 8% increase, which will cost them an extra €160 per month or €1,920 per annum. This is not feasible or fair and it is not sustainable. What does the Government propose to do in this regard? The Labour Party has tabled amendments that seek to freeze rents for tenants up to 2023. We have also tabled another amendment to address the 8% issue. We expect the Government will not accept them, but why not? This is a crisis issue for renters, particularly young people and young people in Dublin. The Government needs to address these issues.

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