Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

Average rents for new tenants increased by over €1,000 last year and for existing renters by almost €800. Despite the Government's renter's tax credit, the majority of renters will either be worse off or marginally better off. When we change the legislation, however, those rent increases are going to be even more dramatic for people who move tenancy or enter into a new tenancy. One thing the Minister could do is to retrospectively apply his decision to exempt corporation tax on cost rentals to the 1,200 existing LDA tenants. The LDA and private providers - if that is the Minister's intention - should be forced to pass on those savings to their tenants. Will the Minister confirm whether the corporation tax exemption on cost rentals will be applied to existing LDA tenancies? Will he also set out what measures, if any, he is going to take to ensure the very significant savings that will accrue for new cost rental tenancies by the corporation tax waiver will be passed on to tenants, whether LDA or private sector cost rental providers?

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