Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to examine the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025. I thank the Minister for bringing it before the House.

This is a decisive Bill that extends rent pressure zones to every county, something that Members from all sides of the House sought. It reflects the Government's commitment to renters, to stability and fairness and to delivering real protections in an often volatile housing market. At its core, the Bill will ensure that all tenants in Ireland, whether in Donegal, Dublin, Dún Laoghaire or Drumshanbo, will be protected from excessive rent increases. Until now, rent pressure zones covered around 83% of tenancies nationwide. That still left one in five tenants outside the reach of these protections, exposed to the full force of market rent inflation. That changes now. This Bill will extend the RPZ rules to every corner of the country, applying the 2% rent cap nationally until 28 February 2026. That means renters in counties like Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal, Clare and Mayo, areas not previously covered, will now benefit from the same safeguards as those in urban centres. That is fair and it is a necessary step. Whether you rent in Blackrock or Ballaghaderreen, your right to affordable and predictable rents should be the same.

We know these reforms are needed. The Housing Agency's review shows that tighter rent controls have helped to moderate price growth, but also that supply has been impacted, particularly following the 2021 restrictions. The challenge we face is how to protect renters without discouraging badly needed investment in our housing supply. This Bill strikes that balance. It protects tenants in the short term through nationwide RPZ coverage. It gives certainty to landlords and investors by signalling future changes will be indexed to inflation and capped. It gives renters peace of mind to know their tenancies are secure and sudden sharp increases will no longer be the norm. From 1 March 2026, the reforms will go even further. No-fault evictions will end for the majority of new tenancies, tenancies will be guaranteed for six years and rents will be linked to inflation, providing long-term stability. These are not just technical changes, but changes that will impact thousands of households, including people planning their family's future, saving for a home or just trying to get by.

We acknowledge these are complex reforms but complexity can never be an excuse for inaction. Instead, the Government must act decisively and responsibly to bring clarity, certainty and fairness to Ireland's rental sector. These changes will introduce a degree of predictability to the rental market, thereby encouraging much-needed investment in new housing units.

To those struggling to afford rent, the answer is supply and continued support from the State. We have seen the rental tax credit and HAP be increased in the past few years, and now the rent controls are being extended to the entire country. The Government is moving forward to provide certainty that will improve supply. This Bill is the first step in that strategy, with more legislation to follow. I hope it will be supported by TDs from across this House. I thank the Minister for not only having the Housing Agency review the report of the commission in May 2024 but also for his work in this area.

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