Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

Renters are already in an incredibly stressful situation having seen their rents doubled over the last decade and the Government is now not helping the situation by sowing confusion. It did that yesterday. The launch, as regards the understanding of it and the contradictory messages coming out, was an absolute shambles. The Taoiseach is at it again today. He told the Dáil just a few minutes ago that new tenancies after March 2026 will be capped at CPI. There was no mention of a reset every six years. Is the reset every six years gone? The Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, told "Drivetime" yesterday that in all new tenancies post March 2026, the landlord will be able to reset the rent to full market levels. Has the reset every six years been ditched or is it still in place? The Taoiseach did not mention it. He did not mention it yesterday either. He would not once mention his reset of six years.

Rents are already completely unaffordable. In Dublin 8, just down the road from here, studio apartments are being advertised at €2,495 per month. This is two and a half grand per month to live in one room, basically. This is the dystopian future for renters which this Government has envisaged. Instead of protecting renters, its big plan is to use them as sacrificial lambs and to bleed them dry. Incredibly, the Minister for housing, Deputy James Browne, claimed yesterday that rents would eventually come down but he could not tell us when this was going to happen. Before being put in charge of housing, the Minister was responsible for gambling. It now seems he is gambling with renters' future and betting against them.

As a smoke screen for cutting rent pressure zones, they will be extended across the country. By giving landlords a heads-up about this, the Government has now incentivised them to jack up rents substantially. Furthermore, any accommodation that frees up between now and March is likely to remain vacant in order that landlords can charge sky high rents at that time and make maximum profits. Does the Government have any plan to deal with the hoarding of rental properties that it is now incentivising by announcing these measures? Another huge concern is the impact these measures will have on homelessness, which is already at record levels. Private rental has been a key route out of homelessness for people. That route will now be cut off because struggling families will be unable to afford the new norm of extortionate rents for new tenancies. That will mean more and more children growing up for longer in emergency accommodation, without a home. The Taoiseach was positively triumphant yesterday announcing these measures. Does he now accept they are going to lead to huge rent increases for most renters and that these measures will increase hardship, poverty, evictions and homelessness for renters?

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