Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a huge missed opportunity. We were optimistic that with this Bill, the Government would finally tackle the issue and support renters. In the past four weeks, 14 families have come to me with notices to quit, which are really eviction notices. In one day in my clinic, which is held every Monday, five families came to me with notices to quit. They will become homeless in the new year. Where in this Bill is the protection for families like that, when landlords say they are going to sell a property or that they will use it themselves? If the landlord wants to sell the property, that is fine but why must the tenant move out? That is an excuse that is still being used, which the Government has not protected renters against.

We are in the middle of a pandemic yet families are being forced out of their homes and into emergency accommodation under the Minister's and the Government's watch. A gentleman came to me last week. His landlord tried to put him out with 24 hours' notice, contrary to advice from Threshold. The RTB said it was wrong. He rang the Garda because he was worried that the landlord was going to come down and force him out. I actually drove out to his house to try to comfort the man because he was so nervous. Then his landlord sent him an email to say he must be out on 22 December. What kind of a country do we live in? There are a lot of good, decent landlords out there but there are also unscrupulous landlords who will evict people Christmas week even though they are breaking the law. This landlord will still do this. Where are the protections for renters?

People are sick to their back teeth of the Government making false promises. People are looking to the Minister and the Government for help, hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Once again, they are failing to do that. I was dealing with a man who was supposed to be out of his home last Saturday night. There are 12 units in the property and 11 tenants have moved out. This property is being sold. This is at the heart of the matter. People are being forced out of their homes so landlords can sell up, developers can do them up and then they are advertised at much higher rents. Where is the protection of tenancies of unlimited duration? That man has been living in his home for years.

The Minister’s mentioned RPZs, which have been a complete failure. We see that with the way that rents have increased. In Cork alone, rent has gone up by 7% in the past 12 months. Where is the 4% limit that should have been protecting people? It is not only in the past 12 months; it has been every year. Rents have increased in Cork from the time of the financial crisis by 108%. Sinn Féin is offering real solutions. My colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, wants to protect renters for three years and ban increase on rents. We want to put a month's rent back into people's pockets.

The Minister spoke about renters, inflation and a 2% cap. The Minister may reduces the maximum increases to 2% but if a tenant’s rent is unaffordable already, it will still be unaffordable. He is not fixing the problem.

It is time to put ordinary people and renters first. This was an opportunity to do that. We hope that when we table amendments to the Bill that the Minister of State and the Minister will consider them. We want to work constructively. We have a job to do here. People have put us into this Chamber to try to solve problems and make their lives better. This Bill will not do that. We want a policy to support renters. Deputy Ó Broin mentioned that we do not have the data for new properties coming online. I know of an apartment complex in Cork where all the tenants had to leave because the landlord was selling it. When new tenants were put in after it had had a lick of paint and a small bit of maintenance work, they had to pay €400 a month more than the previous tenants.

This is a missed opportunity. I hope when we bring forward amendments that the Minister will work with us positively.

See this speech in context