Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Cian O'Callaghan for the work he has put into this issue, which has largely not been dealt with by the Government. It has been off the political agenda in this country even though there are some reports of it being dealt with in the UK. It has probably been off the agenda here because unless one has been in the footsteps of someone who faces the rental crisis that this country faces, it can be difficult to fully appreciate or understand the impact it has on an individual. There are many landlords in the Chamber but I am not sure how many of us currently rent.

I rented for probably 20 years of my life. I rented as a student, as a single person and as a mother. I have rented all over Ireland and I have rented overseas. I had some really good and some really bad landlords. The one consistent thing throughout that rental experience was the level of vulnerability one has as a renter. It sits on one's shoulder whereby one knows that at any point in any day one could get an email or letter saying that the landlord wants one to vacate the premises that is one's home. It is constantly with the renter and makes him or her very vulnerable. It is a constant stress. Thankfully, I have never had to rent in a housing crisis or in a situation where a country is about to take in potentially 100,000 or 200,000 people who are desperately in need of accommodation. In addition, I have never had to rent in a situation where I did not have family supports around me, where I did not understand the language of the country in which I was renting or where I was fighting for the survival of my children.

What we have seen due to the housing crisis, and will continue to see, is that the power dynamic between a landlord and a tenant is cavernous. It is incredible. That makes people very vulnerable. It is the Government's responsibility to step in and offer those people the protections they need from the predatory, disgusting behaviour that very few, but some, landlords wield over tenants, particularly women seeking to house themselves and their children. I welcome the fact that the Government will not oppose the Bill but, as my colleague said, it has to go further. It must bring it through the Dáil and the Seanad and implement the legislation. We cannot be in a situation five or ten years hence where scandals will emerge even though we knew what was going to happen and we did not take a stand or the Government did not put the supports and protections that are obviously needed in place.

The Bill does not just make it illegal for somebody to offer or request sex for rent, it also makes it illegal for a platform to house or hold that offer. There has to be a lot of questioning of the media institutions that allow that to happen. It is important they are held to account. Why they would ever allow anybody to use their platforms for that type of reprehensible, disgusting offer is beyond me. That is an important part of the Bill.

The Bill is incredibly timely because there will be thousands of refugees coming to this country, mainly women and children. As Deputy Cian O'Callaghan said, there was a story in the Irish Examinerthis week in which we already see that type of behaviour being forced on very vulnerable people, so it is important this legislation is put in place. We acknowledge this Bill is not a panacea. We are not claiming that it will resolve the situation because ultimately the greatest protection to vulnerable women and people in our society is access to housing. People will remain vulnerable until there is a roof over their heads and if they feel they have no other option but to put up with the offers that are being made, in some instances they will take those offers on board. The Bill is an important step and an important protection. We ask that the Government put it in place and ensure it is passed quickly so we can send a very clear signal to those who think this could be an option for them that we will not accept or tolerate it and that we will do everything in our power to stop it and make sure it does not happen.

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