Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am gobsmacked that the Minister of State stood there and talked about the transfer of wealth to private landlords due to a tax rebate to people paying their rents. I find that absolutely shocking. The housing rental sector is a mess and I cannot believe for a second that the Government does not see that or thinks its plan is working. Every single measure that is used to gauge how good or bad it is for workers and families trying to access social and affordable housing is telling us that it is beyond horrific. I will give a couple of examples, in case the Minister of State does not read his emails. I know of a family of four that have been 13 years in a RAS house and got a notice to quit. It is their fifth time moving as a family. The council is blocked from buying this house and allowing this family, which has strong roots in the community, a chance to finally settle. This house has now gone on the open market. Ironically, it could come back to the council in the form of a long-term lease if that is what the owner wishes to do. A young woman contacted me today. She has one child and is living in an overcrowded house. She has been approved for HAP - that transfer of wealth to landlords the Minister of State spoke about earlier - but even though she sent out 100 emails, she only got one response. One person wrote:

I am writing to you again to vent my desperation with regard to my housing situation and ask for some help. I am born and raised in Dublin 15. I am in senior management. I have worked hard all my life. I am living with my parents trying the last two years to save for a mortgage but increasing house prices have meant I am still stuck here. I feel there is no hope left here in this country. I am emigrating.

Another said:

We thought we had somewhere to go when we were made homeless on Saturday but also getting onto the housing list and approved for HAP. We find ourselves having to rely on my wife's friends letting us sleep on the couch.

It goes on and on. The Government must treat this housing crisis the way we rightly treated the pandemic and the way we are rightly treating the crisis of refugees from Ukraine. It must take emergency measures. That is what we are talking about because that is what is needed. It should introduce a ban on rent increases and a refundable tax credit, putting a month's rent back in people's pockets. It must massively increase the investment in the delivery of affordable homes, and introduce real protections for tenants. That is what people are asking for. That is what people are demanding. What the Minister of State talked about earlier is not working. Every single person here is saying it is not working. The Government needs to start listening.

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