Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has just shown that the Government's maths are the reason we are in this crisis. This morning, in reply to Deputy McDonald, the Taoiseach spoke about 4,000 new homeowners. In less than 12 hours the Minister has brought that figure up to 5,000. We will have the problem solved by the end of the week if that keeps going.

The yearly increase for new tenancies in Tipperary has hit a staggering 10.4%, bringing average rents to €939, while for existing tenancies the increase is 5.9%, bringing their average rent to €773. This is because the Government's policies have created a shortage of housing, thus driving up the cost of housing and rents and putting councils into impossible situations. Sinn Féin has tried to get this Government to change its failed course of action but it just will not listen. In our housing budget we put the focus on delivering affordable homes and rents because what is left out there is largely unaffordable for many constituents I deal with. Yet the latest affordable housing data has the premier county at zero because of the Minister's slow progress in improving the roll-out. This contributes to soaring rents in Tipperary and to families having to accept damp and unsuitable accommodation, some of which should be condemned.

We set out how to deliver 21,000 social, affordable rental and affordable purchase homes next year by increasing investment, cutting red tape and using more vacant and derelict homes, among other measures to deliver affordable homes. Like the Government's record on affordable housing delivery, its approach to making use of the tens of thousands of vacant properties is equally atrocious. The flawed vacant property refurbishment grant scheme has not issued a single grant payment in Tipperary. Much of the problem stems from how the grant is paid in arrears, putting the onus on the applicant to pay the money up front at a time of soaring rents and high living costs. We would make it work by increasing capital funding to councils to see up to 4,000 vacant and derelict properties bought and refurbished for social and affordable purchase and rental.

When policies do not work for the families, workers and young people they are aimed at, then we should respond to make it work. That is why we need an immediate three-year ban on rent increases and a month's rent back in renter's pockets until the mess of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy can be cleared up. The people of Tipperary who cannot access affordable housing or rents cannot cope with the consequences of the Government's failed approach any more.

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