Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Dáil resumes today, the same issue continues to dominate for so many communities across the country and that is the issue of housing.

The lack of rights for renters is particularly in focus today in an ESRI report showing significantly higher rents being paid by new tenants compared with what is paid by existing renters. We are told a renter moving into a new home can expect to pay 15% more than someone already renting a similar home. As a former Minister with responsibility for housing, how can the Minister justify the lack of Government action on protection for renters? At a minimum, today's report shows renters must be empowered and provided with information about their homes so they can know their rights. If the Government had supported the Labour Party's renters' rights Bill back in 2021 we would have a rent register in place, along with other measures to protect tenants, protect renters and give greater security. Will the Government support our Bill to introduce a rent register and will it consider making the whole country a rent pressure zone? That is clearly what is needed, as we can see from this report.

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