Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Time is up on this renting crisis. The same old political faces doing the same old thing just does not work. Even when people manage to find a place to rent, the rent they are expected to pay is out of control. The Minister has heard my colleagues say that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have had their chance. They had it, they took it and they blew it. They prefer to tinker around the edges of a housing crisis that is, in fact, a humanitarian crisis. Being able to afford a decent place to live is one of the most fundamental needs of human beings.

I encounter these issues day in, day out in my constituency of Kildare North. My constituency office in Naas is out the door with people trying to find out where they are on the Kildare housing list. Some of them have been waiting up to 15 years for housing. They would be very lucky to find even a three-bedroom property in north Kildare for less than €2,000. I see people’s pain and fear when they cannot afford a home. Homes are what people need in a decent, modern society guided by the true principles of republicanism, where the public's business is the most important business, coming before any political sector or business sector or profit.

I am proud of the Bill brought forward by Deputy Ó Broin. It is in the best traditions of republicanism and it is as far away as possible from the Government's survival of the fittest mentality that cheapens and degrades us all. The Bill looks after people and dignifies them and their lives. It does not cast them aside but, rather, raises them up. It will ban rent increases for three years for new and existing tenancies. This will bring security, peace of mind and the ability to plan ahead in renters’ lives, which is so important for families. On top of banning rent increases, it will make sure every renter gets a month’s rent back in their pocket through a refundable tax credit. It is about respect for renters.

Sinn Féin has a plan to fix the housing crisis and this legislation is just one step in that plan. The amendment tabled by the Minister is disappointing. I urge my constituency colleagues in Kildare North and all Deputies to come with us on the Bill for our people, their dignity and their future. Bígí linn.

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