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

Rents in Cork city, one of the Minister's rent pressure zones, rose by 6.3% in the last 12 months despite a ban on rent increases being in effect for five months during that time. This figure proves that rent pressure zones do not work and have never worked. The average rent in Cork city is €1,483 per month. In 2020, people on the minimum wage took home an average of €363 a week. How are people supposed to live like that? How can the Minister sit by, watch people living on such low incomes and then say it is okay for rents to increase by 8% this year? Does he realise how many people are struggling to live and are living week-by-week? Does anyone in this Government ever take a minute to consider what it feels like to be constantly worried that today is the day on which the letter will come telling one that one's rent is going to be increased and that, if one cannot pay, one will lose one's home? Sinn Féin's Bill would give people some peace of mind and security. Is that too much to ask for?

People say that the legacy of the last decade of Fine Gael government is a generation of renters. The legacy of this Government will be its absolute failure to tackle investment funds. One of the largest investment funds in this State took in almost €30 million in rent last year. Ordinary people have struggled over the last 12 months but we should not worry because, thanks to this Government's complete failure to tackle the rental crisis, this investment fund increased the amount of rent it received in 2020 by €2 million. While ordinary people struggle to get by, the Government having stripped them of any protections or safety, investment funds are increasing their turnover. This is what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have done to this State and to ordinary renters.

See this speech in context