Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Landlords have never had it so good, to coin a phrase. Corporate landlords are having it really good. Corporate landlords were brought here after the crash by Fine Gael for one reason only, which was to make huge amounts of money. This is what they are doing. They own huge portfolios of apartments and houses throughout the State. In some cases they are getting paid by the State after getting a huge reduction in the cost of some of these houses. It is sickening to see it. There is a terrible legacy with regard to landlords in this country and there is the psyche of the Irish people. We fought against landlords when the Brits were here and we drove them out. That psyche and legacy are still here.

A total of €1 billion per year is given to private landlords. This is indefensible. This money is going to private landlords. Half of it could build hundreds if not thousands of houses but we continue this policy. The Minister of State is a member of the Green Party. This policy is ideologically driven. We have a housing crisis and 11,000 people in emergency accommodation because of ideology. It is because of the decision to leave housing to the market and forget about the ideology of public housing. This is what it comes down to. This is the reason we have a housing crisis and all of the by-products and misery that come with it. I do not know whether the Minister of State can defend that. He is swimming with sharks in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. These people are maniacs who have no social conscience when it comes to people in situations such as this. In the South Dublin County Council area I am from, the average three-bedroom house costs €2,400 to rent. Who the hell can afford that? Average working people who can afford that will be pinned to their collar and will have very little money for anything else.

What is wrong with rent control? It is a good idea that in a particular area if rents are very high, the State can say that rents must be certain level. It is a good idea. Other countries have done it. Why can we not do it? Otherwise we will let the free market run wild. The invisible hand cannot be touched. I do not understand why this is being allowed to happen.

Rent pressure zones were introduced five or six years ago. Even though rent pressure zones do not really work, they are an acceptance by the Government that we have to interfere somewhere on rent control. The rent pressure zones have failed. We need to go beyond rhetoric and have rent controls where people have a standard of living and not situations where people are homeless or cannot find a place. It is not acceptable. The Minister of State has to look at his position in government in defending these policies. This is what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been all about. It is why we have a crisis. It is because of ideology. I do not know whether the Minister of State believes in that ideology.

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