Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. It occurs to me that given where we have been as a country, we should probably come up with an alternative word for "landlord". The debate on this issue tends to get skewed and it seems easier to see it in terms of the responsibility of landlords and to forget that tenants also have responsibilities. Perhaps "residential tenancers" or something like that might be an alternative name for landlords. We must take seriously the point made by Senator Colm Burke that many of us here may need to declare an interest as being among the 70% of landlords who rent out only one property. We must consider the common good when considering this issue. At the same time, most of us, in the course of our work as public representatives, have encountered situations where vulnerable property owners were completely done over by tenants. I know of a case where an old woman who was reliant on the rental income from her property was done over by a tenant with whom she was unable to cope.Indeed as Senator Colm Burke mentioned, she was without any rent for a considerable period, including the time she needed to do up the property again.

I have a couple of further questions for the Minister and must apologise as I have to go to a meeting but I will attend-----