James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I very much welcome the opportunity to come before the House this evening to speak on housing matters. I take this opportunity to thank all of the Members who contributed this evening to the important, worthwhile and very interesting debate.

First, I echo the contributions of the Ministers of State, Deputies O'Sullivan and Cummins, earlier and reassert the Government's commitment and determination to tackle the challenges in the housing sector. We know these challenges are having a very real impact on people's lives. We understand the urgency and need to ensure sufficient numbers of homes are delivered right throughout this country. We are working tirelessly to address these challenges and to implement policies that will make a very real difference. While there is still so much more to do there has been considerable progress made to date under Housing for All. We have laid a solid foundation for future delivery. The measures introduced under Housing for All have helped to establish a strong platform to scale up housing delivery further in the short term and secure a sustainable level of future supply that will help us to meet the emerging demand.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that housing remains an enormous challenge. The number of new homes coming onstream each year remains far short of where it needs to be. The Government has committed to delivering more than 300,000 new homes between 2025 and 2030, targeting at least 60,000 homes annually by the end of that period. To this end, the programme for Government commits to a new national housing plan to build on the success of Housing for All.

The plan will incorporate pragmatic actions to boost housing activity in the short term, as well as longer term actions that will implement systemic change and help to achieve and sustain the levels of supply that we need for the long term. There is no one single policy approach, decision or silver bullet that will solve the housing challenges we face. We must therefore consider every means available to us. The Ministers of State, Deputies Cummins and O'Sullivan, have set out some of the key changes we have made already in this regard and our plans, including those relating to planning, critical infrastructure and affordable and social housing delivery. I will use my time to focus on a crucial decision that the Government has made today regarding new policy measures to support the rental sector by strengthening tenancy protections and security of tenure. The current system is not optimal for renters or potential new landlords, and changes simply have to be made. The changes that the Government has approved today will provide significantly stronger protection for tenants and a fine balance between the interests of tenants and the need for further private investment in the rental market. In order to boost the supply of new homes available for rent, the Government has today approved modifications to rent controls to come into effect immediately, following the expiration of rent pressure zones. Legislation will be introduced later this year to give effect to these measures.

The key changes approved today by the Government include significant improvement to tenant protections for all new tenancies, further enhancing security of tenure following the introduction of new legislation. Tenancies of unlimited duration are to be enhanced by the introduction of rolling six-year tenancies of minimum duration for smaller landlords with restricted grounds for ending a tenancy. While no-fault evictions for larger landlords will end, landlords with four or more tenancies will not generally be able to end a tenancy where the tenant has complied with their obligations. All landlords will have the right to reset rent where below-market rent is in place at the end of each six-year tenancy unless a no-fault eviction occurs. Landlords will also be able to reset to market rent for new tenancies from 1 March 2026 where previous tenants have left of their own volition. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, it will remain prohibited to set a rent above market rent.

I need to make it absolutely clear that those who have tenancies at the moment will not be subject to the proposed six-year resettings. Ultimately, we aim to improve the situation for renters by increasing the supply of rental accommodation to stimulate investment and keep existing landlords in the market. The resetting of rents to market value will be allowed for new tenancies as part of the reform of rent controls. Given the critical need to attract investment in new apartments for the rental market, the Government will provide that any rent increases for new apartments - those subject to a commencement notice to a planning authority today or going forward - will be restricted to the inflation rate. To mitigate the risk of economic evictions where landlords seek to move tenants out in order that they can charge a higher rent, it is intended that resetting rents will not be allowed for no-fault evictions. The RTB will enforce this by ensuring that any improper conduct by landlords is sanctioned. We will ensure the RTB is properly resourced.

The measures providing greater certainty of protection from no-fault evictions will also be a critical intervention in preventing homelessness. The Government also intends to keep student-specific accommodation under rent control and to develop proposals for specific arrangements for that sector with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Attorney General. We will revert to the Government with these proposals in the near future.

Numerous market expert reports have identified our current rent control system as an impediment to the supply of new private rental accommodation. Increasing the supply of private rental accommodation is crucial in supporting the Government's overall housing targets and addressing affordability in the private rental sector. Today’s measures represent just one avenue of support for new housing delivery. The forthcoming national housing plan will encompass many additional strands of work, including the scaling up of social and affordable homes; address the homelessness challenge; boost the capacity of the construction sector; continue to reduce vacancy; and bring much-needed stock back into use. The new national housing plan will follow the review of the national development plan. Until then, I will continue to engage with Government colleagues, including the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Jack Chambers, as these reviews take shape over the coming weeks. I will make the case to reaffirm the critical importance of housing as recognised in the previous national development plan review.

I wish to make it very clear that we do not underestimate the scale of the challenge. We recognise that a radical step change is needed in housing supply. That is why we are considering every lever at our disposal. We remain steadfast in our commitment to meet the challenge head on and ensure all those who aspire to independence in the housing market can realise their aspiration.

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