Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

We hear today that rents are up again 5.5% nationally. The new average rent in Dublin is €2,177 per month. A worker earning €30,000 per year would have to spend their entire take-home pay to cover that amount and that still would not be enough. Renters across this country are struggling. How can they keep paying higher rents? They are stressed and terrified about the potential removal of rent caps. Renters feel unheard. They also feel that the only voice the Government is listening to is that of the vulture fund landlords who want free rein to rack up rents. Renters will be making their voices heard next Wednesday at a public event we will be hosting outside Leinster House. I invite the Minister of State opposite to join those renters and hear their voices. Will he and the Minister for housing immediately publish the Housing Agency report on rent caps that is sitting on the Minister's desk? Will they give renters some certainty by committing to retaining the rent caps that are in place for a minimum of three years?

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