Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In recent years, I have raised the rising cost of rent and property and the lack of rental properties. Trying to find a property in my area is like looking for hen's teeth. The problem is countrywide and affects every county. In my home town of Dundalk the rental cost of a standard three-bedroom house is between €1,200 and €1,600 a month. It is much more that someone would have to pay for a mortgage for the same property. Why are the tenants paying these rents not able to get a mortgage for the same property? This is one of the main reasons for the crisis we are in and it makes no sense. It is not fair and needs to be addressed.

New homes and apartments are still being purchased in bulk by real estate investment trusts and institutional investors. This is a major problem. Ordinary people trying to bid for a new house have no chance. This is driving up the prices of houses, which, in turn, is driving up the cost of renting. High prices relative to incomes are pushing potential buyers out of the market and into rental accommodation, which is pushing up demand. People come to my constituency office and tell me they would be better off on social welfare. They pay between €1,200 and €1,600 on rent. These people are working and want to work but they come home with a salary of between €25,000 or €30,000 after they have paid their taxes and universal social charge. They are left with nothing after rent. They cannot afford to put food on the table or clothes on their children's backs and they have no help with their rent because local authorities have not changed the housing list thresholds for the past ten years. That is not fair. If people in that position gave up their jobs tomorrow morning, they would get €1,320 in HAP towards their rent. They would get medical cards and everything else they would be entitled to and their rent would cost them only €50 per week or €100 per month instead of €1,600 per month. It would, therefore, make sense.

The overarching goal of housing policy should be affordability, sustainability, equality and social inclusion. The high cost of housing can lead to deprivation, exclusion and poverty at household level and low levels of consumption and economic growth at national level. The standard of rental properties is poor. Landlords refuse to carry out repairs and if tenants complain, they are asked to leave the property. If they do not pay their rent, they are evicted from the property. It is impossible to get a rental property for a family. Many families in my area are moving back to live with their parents. Some are sleeping on sofas. It is either sleep on the sofa or go on the homeless list.

The Minister is always looking for solutions. I propose that he put in place support to increase the supply of housing through affordable rent and purchase. There are various ways of achieving that. There is an untapped supply of vacant and derelict housing throughout the country, in both rural and urban areas. According to the GeoDirectory residential buildings report, there are more than 90,000 vacant dwellings across the country. Every year, up to 4,500 people leave behind an empty home when they go into long-term nursing home care, yet just 400 of these homes are subsequently rented out. The nursing home support scheme, fair deal, charges older persons three separate times if they decide to rent out their home. The Government needs to reform the fair deal scheme to remove the financial barrier to renting out properties, thereby releasing vacant family homes in cities, towns and rural areas.

The Government also needs to do something for older people. For example, it should develop clustered bungalow housing close to services, which would allow older people to downsize and free up family homes.

The Government also needs to establish a framework for the supply and installation of prefabricated 3D volumetric modular homes which can significantly reduce the construction time for social and affordable housing. It also needs to review the housing grant limit in light of rising construction costs. It needs to address supply-side constraints, including skilled labour shortages, rising costs of construction, including materials, and excessive lead-in times, which are limiting the development of affordable new dwellings. In my constituency, all that families want is a home for their families. Whether it is through buying, renting or living in social houses, they want stability. They want their families to feel safe and their children to be able to play with their friends. Everyone deserves a home. There is a shortage of housing which needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

We need rent freezes with no loopholes for investment companies. We need stronger powers for the Residential Tenancy Board, including the power to spot-check residential properties, and we need confirmation that retrofitting and substantial renovations will be removed as a reason to evict.

Everyone needs a home. Last week, when I spoke at Leaders’ Questions, I was given a commitment from the Taoiseach that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, would contact me about vacant properties in the Dundalk area. I have yet to hear from the Minister. I would appreciate if the Minister of State would ask the Minister to contact me.

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