Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We are in the middle of a housing crisis. We have record rents, record house prices, record numbers of adults living in their childhood bedrooms and record levels of homelessness. Given this, why is the Government incentivising landlords to keep homes empty? A prominent financial adviser has announced that he tells some of his landlord clients to leave rental accommodation vacant for two years because if homes are left empty for two years, rent regulations do not apply. Landlords who do this can jack up their rents far in excess of the 2% cap that is supposed to exist. It really is perverse that the Government is facilitating a loophole that encourages landlords to keep homes empty. Leaving homes empty in the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis should never be an attractive financial option. The Social Democrats are putting forward a Bill to shut down this loophole. Will the Taoiseach support that Bill?

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