Results 10,601-10,620 of 26,843 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It was in the public domain.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I appreciate the protection. The landlord there tried to jack up the rent by an enormous amount. It would have meant the rent increasing from €2,200 to €2,800, which is shocking. The fact that the rent was €2,200 in the first instance is just shocking, and the landlord was going to increase it to €2,800. It was affecting dozens of young people, many of them...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is that even if a place was not rented for two years previously?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It was not captured by the RPZ provisions.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It was not quite €1,000 so maybe it was 30% - I cannot remember exactly.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will thoroughly examine that to make sure that is the case.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: If it does the job, I will accept it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not think substantial refurbishments justify higher rents because rents are completely out of control at the moment and we should not allow any other mechanisms for rents to be raised over and above where they are. I do not think that doing things to an apartment or other property that need to be done should justify massive rent increases. Rents are not set at affordable levels and the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I get the thinking behind extensions from two to three bedrooms with a genuine and significant expansion of the space but, as I understand the Minister's proposal, modifications to more than 50% of the floor space would be covered.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the Minister for the clarification and it does improve matters so I will consider it again between now and Report Stage. If a property is at the lower end of the BER ratings, a jump by two points would not be very difficult and the box could be ticked relatively easily. It is different at the top levels.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We have an amendment later which will propose that, to be deemed significant, there should be two criteria for BER improvements. One should be that it goes to the top two categories and the other is that it should jump three points. That is a tighter way of doing it and will ensure it will genuinely make a difference, rather than simply ticking a box. I can see potential for messing in...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I accept that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I take the point that it is an improvement and the Minister is genuinely trying to put in safeguards. It may merit a little more thought and consideration of the detail on all sides. We have to look at certain test cases. One could go into that apartment block across the road from me to see what that company has put in for. It would be interesting to see. I am certain that what it is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is on the same lines. I will consider what the Minister has said and we will possibly come back to it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They are all related.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is exactly the same.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Amendment No. 31 provides that if the landlord fails to comply with the regulations of the Act, he or she will be guilty of an offence and liable to a class A fine or a maximum of two years' imprisonment, or on conviction on indictment, a fine not exceeding €50,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of five years. That is basically getting tough with the landlords if they-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----break the law or mess around. They will know it is a serious business.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Maybe we should add that in.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (11 Apr 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Let me just clarify this. Does this mean imprisonment in certain circumstances or not?