Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I genuinely feel for the Minister in his trying to spin what is a terrible, terrible report. This report spells out in clear evidence to all of us that the Government’s housing policy is completely in tatters. New rents have gone up by 11% In the last year. That means that new rents, compared to the last time the RTB did this report, which was a year ago, are up by €1,960. This is on the Minister’s watch.

The Minister speaks of existing rents, but in some cases in many counties existing rents have gone up by the double digits. Cavan has gone up by 12.5%. Leitrim has gone up by 7.4%. Longford has gone up by more than 10%. Roscommon has gone up by 9.5%. Waterford has gone up by 9.4%. It is not just new rents, but existing rents. Renters are being fleeced and this is on the Minister’s watch. He continues to spin. He speaks of supply. Supply is part of the answer, but the Government has failed to deliver on its own targets for affordable and cost-rental houses.

That is a blatant fact. Supply is not the only answer. The Government also needs to ban rent increases for the next number of years. It needs to make a decision on whose side it is on. We are very clear in Sinn Féin that we are on the side of renters. We do not stand by these runaway rents and a Government that is allowing this to happen while families are being crucified and renters are being locked into an unaffordable system.

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