Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Bacik and our housing spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan, for their work on this Bill. This is a critical issue that came up for Deputy Bacik during the Dublin Bay South by-election, and we committed to bringing forward this Bill on foot of that. We have honoured our commitment in this regard because during the by-election campaign it certainly came across to us how important this matter is since the constituency has one of the highest numbers of people living in rented accommodation. Deputy Bacik is delivering on her mandate.

Renters deserve improved rights. It is beyond time for them to have security of tenure and the ability to make their leased apartment or house their actual home. There is a significant difference between having a property you live in and calling it a home. Renters need to be treated fairly, they need to be treated with respect and they need a new deal. Simple things that many of us often take for granted, such as the right to have a household pet or to opt for an unfurnished property, need to be allowed under the law. We also need to bring in a three-year rent freeze; it is imperative that we do so. I have heard some comments from members of the Government at times that this is not constitutional. It absolutely is constitutional. I 100% know that it is because I brought in a rent freeze when I was in government. Those lines are old and should be thrown in the dustbin.

For many years, we have tried to change the law by introducing Bills and amendments to give renters a real break, especially on the issue of rent increases and the grounds for eviction. Since 2016, renters have borne the brunt of record increases and still do not have basic protections that are taken for granted in many other jurisdictions. In December 2016, my colleague, former Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, tabled a Social and Affordable Housing Bill that sought to link rents to inflation and to remove as grounds for eviction the intention of landlords to sell their properties. If that Bill had been adopted, renters would have saved thousands and thousands of euros by now and families would have been saved from homelessness and much more. As rents continued to rise and the homelessness crisis escalated, we again tried to change the law in 2018 with the Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill. We sought to radically restrict the grounds for eviction and the Government again failed to take on board the proposals. We are hoping the Minister of State will change tack. Again, we sought to link rents to inflation but nothing changed. The Minister at the time did not oppose it, but he also did not take any of it on board. It was basically an exercise in paying lip service.

As figures from the Residential Tenancies Board show, more than half of the notices to quit issued since 2019 were because the landlord involved intended to sell the property. In many countries, the sale of a rental property cannot be used as grounds for terminating a tenancy agreement. That is what we need here. It is a right that commercial tenants in Ireland have but not one enjoyed by those living in their own homes. Another 24% of tenancy terminations are because the landlord involved wanted the property for a family member. Our Bill severely limits those grounds because, in many cases, these are spurious and are just used as an excuse. With Covid restrictions on evictions now lifted, the number of homeless families is increasing again. More protections are needed. As inflation rises, we also need, as already stated, a three-year rent freeze.

At the heart of this crisis are people and the impact the housing crisis has had on them. The stories that have been shared with us are heartbreaking. People are afraid, demoralised and left with no alternatives. In a survey, one renter said that there is no stability in living, that they are in constant fear of eviction, that there is nothing better to rent locally, that they never a furnish a home because they do not know how long they are going to be there and that the whole system is shambolic and suits neither decent tenants nor decent landlords. Another said that they have been renting since 2009 and that the rent has risen from €350 to €850 per month in that period. In the meantime, the rent has now nearly doubled. Although this person earns a good salary, after the rent is paid and bills, grocery shopping, health insurance, travel, etc., are taken into account, it is incredibly difficult to survive. Another person said that the impact of this cannot be overstated because a home can be pulled out from under a renter at any moment under the current conditions that apply. How can the person in question consider starting a family when they might not be able to put a roof over that family's head?

These are some very important changes and they have been given lip service over the past few years. I am hoping the Minister of State will change tack and state that he will take this Bill on board.

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