Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The failure to include any measure for renters in this year's budget speaks volumes about this Government's attitude to renters. It speaks volumes that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Government are so out of touch they do not understand the real pain that is being felt by renters as rents increase again and again and all the while the Minister and the Government are dithering and dathering. The Government is hiding away but this motion calls it out.

Before the House, we have a motion that brings forward solutions that will make a real difference if implemented by Government. All the Government needs to do is look at the Sinn Féin alternative budget. We know that the Government is out of touch and out of ideas, but we are willing to share our ideas with it. The Minister can shrug his head; I do not care about that. This is about people who cannot pay their rent. It is about people who have seen their rent increase year-on-year and about young people who are worried about how they are going to start out in life and do what their parents were able to do, that is, purchase a house in this city or elsewhere. This is about real lives and real people. The policies being implemented by the Minister and the Government are pushing up house prices. We warned from these benches that the Government was throwing fuel on the fire and pushing up house prices, but the Minister said he knew better than all of the experts. What happened? House prices continue to increase and rents continue to increase and all the while the Minister is dithering and dathering. The reality is we need a three-year freeze on rent increases and we need to put in place a refundable tax credit that puts up to €1,500 back in the pocket of every renter who is renting privately in this State. We had a tax credit for renters from the 1980s right up to the last couple of years. This can be done if the willingness is there. This Government is so far out of touch and so far out of ideas it does not know how to support renters but, by God, as pointed out by Deputy Ó Broin, when it comes to fixing the troubles of landlords, it is always a willing ear and always willing to write the legislation. If you are a landlord, a big investment fund, a vulture fund, a speculator or a developer, the Minister is your man but, by God, if you are a renter or a young person wanting to set out in life and purchase an affordable house or rent at a decent price you have the wrong team in government.

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