Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome some of the changes proposed in the Bill, especially those that will impact on students. It is good that there will be limits in regard to how much landlords can request as deposits but, unfortunately, there is a loophole. Let us be honest, if unscrupulous landlords who abused the system last year find another loophole, they will do the same again this year. That is why one of our amendments, which will delete from the section lines 18 to 22, inclusive, seeks to stop the exploitation of students and their families by closing any loopholes that might exist. We welcome the tone and what the Minister is trying to do for students but we are just trying to improve the legislation in that regard. The onus is on us to try to improve legislation where it can be improved on, and I ask that he take a constructive, solution-based approach to what we are putting forward.

Earlier today, I spoke about a lady who was renting with her family for 11 years. Her children had always lived in the same house and knew no other home. They lived there for 11 years. Last week, they were given a notice to quit by the landlord. In other words, they were being evicted. I welcome the points made by the Minister earlier about a review and the legislation he hopes to bring forward in the autumn relating to renters, but where is the protection for that lady and her family?

I will give the Minister a number of other cases to highlight the lack of protections. A man contacted my office about his father, who had first rented his house 40 years ago with his wife, who has since passed away, unfortunately. The father got a notice to quit and now the son is asking where his father go after paying rent and living in a house for 40 years? I have an even more extreme case than that one. A man, who I consider a close personal friend, has lived in rented accommodation in Cork city for 73 years. He was born in the house. He received a notice to quit along with other tenants who live in a privately owned block of houses. How can a person live in a home and pay rent for 73 years and have no protection? That is what the Minister, this Government and the previous Government, which he supported, going right back, have done. They have never protected renters.

Any further legislation brought forward that relates to housing must include proper secure protection for renters. A lady who became homeless contacted me last week. She was lucky. Cork City Council helped her and her child to get into emergency accommodation. This is a lady who works. This is not a person who some might consider to be down on her luck. This is a lady who has a job, who had a home, but because of circumstances, she ended up in emergency accommodation last weekend in Cork. How is that right in this day and age? Deputy Ó Broin referred to 1,122 people who received notices to quit up to May. I personally met with five individuals and families in June who also received notices to quit. Let us call a spade a spade: a notice to quit is an eviction notice. That is what it means to the families involved. These are real people.

Many renters are afraid to let landlords know they are struggling to pay their rent, because trying to find decent accommodation is virtually impossible now on a budget. People are either living in substandard accommodation or are paying far more than they can afford, trying to keep a roof over their head. We put forward amendments, but on the greater scale of things we need the Minister and this Government to stand up, to step up and to put protections in place, because renters cannot find accommodation. People who are living in rented accommodation are struggling to pay the rent. What the Government is doing, in allowing a possible 8% rent increase, will drive many people over the edge. Will the Minister reconsider this?

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