Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister spoke about an uplift in housing delivery, but the only uplift likely this year it seems is an uplift in the rents people are being forced to pay. People tell all of us that they can barely afford to meet their monthly rents. Can the Minister give certainty to renters that RPZ laws will be retained or that there will be an equivalent safety net? There is nothing coming from Government except uncertainty and, it seems, tax breaks for developers.

We know from the ESRI that tax breaks for developers do not increase delivery. Rather, they lead to a transfer of tax revenue from the State to developers without any significant effect on supply. That is from ESRI research. I again ask the Minister whether he will accept our Labour motion that sets out clear evidence-based policies to provide a radical reset in housing policy and ensure that we see an increased level of supply of homes and protections for renters who so badly need them.

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