Dáil debates

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Rental Sector: Motion [Private Members]

 

6:35 pm

Photo of Donnchadh Ó LaoghaireDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has never been great to be a renter in Ireland. These days being a renter in Ireland is like being on a treadmill in that you are trapped, stranded and handing out fortunes of money, very often for substandard accommodation and, worse, you are always in an uncertain position, subject to a notice to quit under the many loopholes throughout tenancy legislation in this State and, when you do get a notice to quit, finding another property means queuing alongside many other people at appointments. We have seen the reports about the challenges single parents and those in receipt of HAP face in terms of competing with all the other people looking for rented accommodation. The system is broken beyond comprehension.

As stated by Deputy Doherty, the discrepancy in terms of all of the initiatives taken on behalf of landlords, institutional landlords and vulture funds versus the lack of even the merest measures in terms of relief for renters is incredible. The Government has been dragging its feet for years on a rent freeze. It is an issue Sinn Féin has been talking about for a long time. We are glad that the logic of that is finally beginning to percolate in the Government benches. The Minister and his party will tell us that they are only in government for a year and a half. Every year since 2016, we have been promised a housing budget, but it has never happened. I call on the Government to give some relief to renters. There are systemic issues that will take time to tackle in terms of supply and so on, but there are things that can be done now that are set out in this motion. It is about legislation and a rent freeze and some relief by way of a tax credit for renters. The Government needs to do that. Renters need the Government's help.

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