Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Craughwell's proposed amendment to the Order of Business. The Bill that was debated on Second Stage last night is full of implications for the future of the private rented sector in terms of people who cannot afford to purchase homes for themselves. We cannot delude ourselves but that many of the measures in the Bill are going to reduce further the amount of rental accommodation because landlords are going to say it is simply not worth it anymore. I will give one example of an email that was sent to this House today from a man and woman who jointly own a house which was let to people from Latvia or Estonia, I cannot remember which, who gave up their tenancy and who had been paying a moderate rent for their family home. The couple are now being told that if they let the house at the market rent today they will be committing a criminal offence because the Bill will criminalise anybody who does not go back to a below market rent.