Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

As Senator Bacik said, an agreement was reached by the Cabinet today regarding measures that will be put in place to provide what is termed a new deal for tenants and to provide better support for families who are facing homelessness. I want to start by thanking colleagues on all sides of the House. I know many colleagues have made written representations on this issue to the Taoiseach and various Ministers. I would particularly like to thank our Fine Gael colleagues because, while the media have presented this as a Labour Party-Fine Gael battle, I know many Fine Gael colleagues have been behind the issue and very keen that a resolution is found. I also know the media have presented it as a very one-sided situation which is a new deal for tenants and nothing for landlords. I want to make the point that there are issues that will be in the package in terms of a better tax relief situation for landlords and improved operations of the PRTB, for example.

The fact remains we have discussed this in this House on many occasions. Tenants are being driven into homelessness because of rent increases, and that is the bottom line. The only question we have to ask ourselves here today is whether the measures that are being announced by the Cabinet are going to help or hinder that situation. I am absolutely confident they will help to stem the flow of people entering homeless services. That is the only question we have to ask. Does that mean we finish here? No, it does not. One in five Irish families lives in rented housing so it is a major issue going forward. More needs to be done in order to secure the future of those households, and I have personally asked the Minister, Deputy Kelly, to ensure we put in place a formal review in regard to the private rented sector. It is not the Cinderella of Irish housing any more. It is where a very significant number of Irish families live and will continue to live in the future.

I want to thank colleagues because I know representations were made on this issue right across the House to everybody concerned, in particular to Ministers, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste.