Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Renters' greatest concerns are security of tenure and affordable rents. In this dysfunctional rental market, during this rental crisis, neither of these concerns is realistically achievable. I regularly had people coming into my constituency office or ringing us to say they had been given notice to quit from their rental property. There is nowhere for them to go once they have vacated the property. Families are in despair, knowing that within a few months, they could find themselves on the street with no proper supports or the option of alternative accommodation. Many monthly rental payments are higher than mortgage repayments. The rental crisis is causing a brain drain from this country. We are losing some of our finest and most qualified graduates and skilled workers because they cannot find a property to rent. When they do, they cannot afford the astronomical rents, never mind buy one.

High rents also impact on other areas of an individual's life. Families have to pay a range of other costs that place a great strain on their finances. Increasing energy costs, childcare costs, healthcare costs, the cost of transport and much more are placing a great financial burden on people and families, particularly during this cost-of-living crisis. There has been a significant increase in the ratio of people dependent on rental accommodation. According to Threshold, one in five households now live in rental accommodation, compared with one in ten in the 1990s. This is a sizable proportion of the population, many of whom will never be able to own their homes because of the drain on their income because of exorbitant rents. People need some relief from this rental crisis. There has to be a significant freeze on rent increases for three years to give renters some breathing space. Most importantly, there needs to be a significant increase in social and affordable housing. While the Government maintains its current policies, we will remain in an ongoing crisis situation without any foreseeable resolution of the rental and housing crisis or any respite for already struggling individuals and families.

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