Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have failed utterly to tackle the housing crisis.

It is the number one issue in our country. Whether it be a renter's tax credit, a ban on no-fault evictions or limiting the level with which renters can be additionally burdened, in each incident the Government has dragged its feet in taking any action on this. What it has done has been too little and too late. In virtually every instance, the Government then finds false justification to reverse course in the face of a rental market even more cruel than before.

Today, we hear that renters are once again to be punished for what are the Government's housing failures. Its haphazard proposal of a four-tier rent pressure zone regime will leave renters worse off. Has it thought about older people who are going to retire? How will they afford these rents of up to €3,000 per month? For young people who are now out there trying to rent, how are they supposed to rent at €3,000 a month? They do not make this in their salaries. While many have given up hope of ever owning their own home, for those who have secured a mortgage, the Government continues to allow the banks to withhold the benefits of cuts to the European Central Bank interest rate. Irish banks have failed to pass on as many as four or five interest rate cuts to their consumers since the general election - squeezed homeowners, Government indifference. Sinn Féin has outlined what is needed to rectify this, namely, create a dedicated multimillion euro fund, stop artificially capping what councils can recoup and ensure a turnaround time of 12 weeks on council-owned properties.

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