Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, on his motion on renters. I also congratulate him and thank him for the work he does advocating for a better, fairer and more just approach to housing. I represent the constituency of Dublin Bay South, which stands as a prime example of how housing policies developed by Government parties have continually failed the needs of these communities. Government parties have stood idly by while Dublin City Council flat complexes have been allowed fall into disrepair and neglect. It is important to remember that those people are renters also. Issues like dampness, mould, frequent flooding and rat infestation are all common within the State's housing stock in the inner city. These tenants across the inner city, who pay rent to Dublin City Council, have effectively been abandoned by this Government. Let us dispel the myth that many pundits and those in the media like to fire out so often about social housing being free. These residents pay rent. They contribute to society and keep alive that strong sense of inner city community that makes Dublin what it is.

Not only has this Government failed those renting from local authorities, it has also left many of those renting in the private sector to the mercy of institutional landlords who are trying to squeeze every cent out of ordinary working people and send it to their shareholders, many of whom have probably not set foot in Ireland. Too often we see landlords who will put two bunk beds in one double room and charge sky-high rents per bed with little or no regard for the quality of life of those who need somewhere to call home. For these reasons, we need the measures outlined in this motion, such as the NCT-style certification for all rental properties to ensure compliance with minimum standards. There were zero changes for renters in the budget and no changes to HAP limits at a time of runaway rents. We need to give renters a break and support this motion.

See this speech in context