Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

Today the Taoiseach said that rents are supposedly not going to increase but we know it is the case that rents will increase as a result of the measures brought in today by the Government. We are in the midst of an emergency that the Government accepts is an emergency, with rents higher than they have ever been in the history of the State - they are completely unaffordable and unsustainable - and we will now see rents rise even further. The removal of that rent cap between tenancies means we will see rents increase across the board; make no mistake about it. The move today by the Government was a signal to landlords to go ahead and increase the rents. It is telling them that they can do so - that is what the Government is saying to landlords of existing properties and landlords of new properties who build them. The Minister of State is shaking his head, but it is the case that in introducing these measures, he said it is about activating the supply of institutional investors delivering housing. If it is about activating supply, it clearly does that through allowing higher rents because that is what the Minister of State said is needed, that is what lobbyists have been saying and that is what institutional funds have been looking for and now the Government has given it to them. Every tenant will face increased rents within the next six years.

We will see rents rise even further but between now and March when the changes come in, we will also see landlords evict tenants so that they can then have the market rent charged.

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