Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I want to start by acknowledging the sad death of Shane MacGowan. His legacy of iconic music is a testament to his genius. On behalf of the Social Democrats, I offer my condolences to his family, his friends and all who loved him.

I am wondering how high is too high. How high will rents have to go before the Government says, "enough", and does something about them?

There is another report out today detailing sky-high rents. This time it is from the RTB. Rents for new tenancies are up an enormous 11.6%. Across the country, that means an average rent of €1,574 per month. Just three years ago, when the Tánaiste entered Government, average rents were €1,226. That is an increase of nearly €350 per month since the Tánaiste took office.

The price of a Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party Government to renters out there is an extra €4,200 per year going to their landlords since the Tánaiste took office. Does the Tánaiste know how difficult it is for students, workers and families to scrape together an extra €4,200 per year? Does the Tánaiste know that families go without - without proper meals, without heating and without warm coats in the winter - to pay their rent? Does the Tánaiste know how hopeless and trapped people feel because they cannot afford to move out of their childhood bedroom? Does the Tánaiste know how difficult it is to save for a house when almost all of your income is going towards soaring rent? If the Tánaiste knows all of this, why will he not do anything about it?

Why does the Tánaiste continue to gaslight the nation and come in here and tell us that this failure is somehow a success? I can guess one of the things the Tánaiste might say. The Tánaiste will say rent increases for existing tenants are lower, but their rents went up by 5.3% and average rents are €1,332. What the Tánaiste should acknowledge is that those figures are only more evidence that the rental market is broken.

The maximum rent increase in rent pressure zones is supposed to be 2%. Fianna Fáil's Minister brought in that rule, but clearly landlords up and down the country are ignoring that upward threshold and charging whatever they like. Why would they not?

The Government has overseen tenancy laws that amount to zero rights for renters. For no reason at all, tenants can be evicted. Meanwhile the regulator, the RTB, is not so much toothless as comatose. It either does not have the power, the resources or the interest to pursue landlords who breach the regulations.

I have listened to members of the Government make earnest promises on housing for years. The Tánaiste says it is the Government's top priority but every year the crisis gets worse, rents become even more unaffordable, the prospect of owning a home gets more out of reach and a record number of people are in homelessness. We are all tired of these broken promises. It is time for action. Will the Tánaiste freeze rents for three years, introduce a ban on no-fault evictions and introduce a rent register so there is some transparency around rents?

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