Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No.1:

In page 3, line 26, after “2021” to insert “may not occur in the period of 36 months from the commencement of that section and”.

The Minister of State will have heard my remarks and the remarks of many other Deputies on Second Stage regarding the necessity to provide for a three-year rent freeze and that is what this amendment, among others, seeks to do. The Minister of State and his officials know that this can be done because it was done in 2015. At that time, a rent freeze was instituted to respond to a particular problem. Never was a rent freeze of this nature required more than it is now and it can be done if the political will is there. To date, the political will has not been in evidence from this Government to deal with the biggest and most dominant social issue of our time. I suggest that the Minister of State accept this amendment. Any excuses or rationale that he might provide that it is unconstitutional, for example, or not possible, simply will not stand up to scrutiny. The Minister of State knows that, as do his officials. I suggest that the best thing to do for our society at this moment in time would be to provide for a three-year rent freeze to allow the market to settle and to allow for the building of the homes that we all want to see built. A rent freeze will allow the housing system more generally to recover and respond to the needs of today.

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