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

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Government acted quickly to protect renters by introducing emergency legislation that froze rents and temporarily banned evictions. In March, we extended this temporary legislation to ensure those who had lost their income due to Covid-19 and who needed the protection and support of the legislation would continue to receive it. Three months ago, when I spoke in this House about the last extension to this legislation, I noted that unfortunately we were still in a difficult and delicate position with Covid-19. I am relieved that we now see light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the success of the vaccine roll-out and the admirable commitment of the public we are making progress that just three months ago felt out of our grasp.

Despite this progress, renters who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic still need our support. They still need the reassurance of these emergency measures. Young families and working professionals in their 20s and 30s make up a large proportion of our renting population. They have been hit hard by this pandemic and the uncertainty of being a renter adds to their hardship. I am keenly aware of the difficulties facing renters and I know it is one of the most significant areas of concern for my generation. That is why I firmly believe we must turn our attention to beyond the pandemic, to ensure that protections are in place to support renters in the future.

In the long term, a key commitment of the programme for Government is the provision of housing for all and part of this commitment includes the delivery of Ireland's first cost-rental homes. This initiative will provide Irish renters with the security of long-term, affordable and, most importantly, secure leases. This is an initiative I will continue to champion through my work on the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which I know is dear to the Minister's heart.

In the short term, we must continue to protect renters however we can to ensure those who have lost their jobs or incomes will not lose their homes too. This Bill extends the emergency period in the legislation to 12 January 2022. It will protect renters who have lost their incomes due to Covid-19 from being evicted from their homes until then. The Bill will introduce new measures to ensure the deposit or advance payment a tenant must pay to a landlord will be limited to two months' rent. I welcome that in extending the legislation, this Bill will provide for students who live in student-specific accommodation. They will be covered by the new deposit measure and will not have to give more than 28 days’ notice when terminating a tenancy.

The last year has been extremely challenging for renters, especially those who have lost their jobs or incomes. I am proud this Government continues to act to protect vulnerable renters and it is right that we continue to do this until the pandemic is behind us. It is my sincere hope and expectation that we will continue to support renters long after this pandemic is over and work to create a stable rental market with conditions that make long-term rental a viable, affordable, and attractive option for families and young people who feel trapped in the rental market.

The Government is committed to fixing the housing crisis and to ending the rip-off rental market. If that is the shared ambition of politicians across this Chamber, let us work together to achieve that. We should not have opposition for opposition's sake. We should have meaningful collaboration because that is what the people who elected us deserve.

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