Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Labour Party, I reiterate the kind words about Austin Currie. I pass on our condolences to our colleague Senator Currie. Austin Currie was one of the pioneers on housing and in the civil rights movement in the North. The housing situation was blatantly discriminatory against Catholics. We have lost a giant of Irish politics. Along with John Hume and Seamus Mallon, he was the last of the big three to pass away. On behalf of the Labour Party, I want to be associated with the words that have been spoken about him.

One of the things about speaking later on the Order of Business is that sometimes Senator Boylan raises the issues that I had planned on raising. I also want to speak on the Daft report. That has happened a few times.The Daft report that was published today is interesting. It reiterates the points made in the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, report, and states that rental increases are going up 7% nationwide. In some counties, particularly in the midlands and on the western seaboard rents are increasing in double digits. There is a supply issue, but I also believe that the investor-led approach is not working. Investors cannot, and will not, deliver affordable rents. Only direct State intervention through the Land Development Agency, LDA, and the Government will do this. In the context of a market with unprecedented scarcity, I am reiterating the Labour Party's call on the Government to increase renters' rights and put some power back in the hands of renters. As part of this, the Government must ask that build-to-rent standards be reviewed to include balconies and facilities for more long-term living. We need a commitment from the Government that the apartments that will be built by the LDA and the Government under cost rental schemes will have long-term standards that are better than build-to-rent, and will include balconies and storage space.

I have heard some worrying reports that some proposed schemes will be built to build-to-rent standards. They are not good for long-term living for people who are living in cost rental. Building poor quality housing does not allow people to live there comfortably in the long term, either as renters or owners. We need to empower renters to make them feel that their house is their home. It is clear, from the RTB report that was published two weeks ago and the Daft report that was published today, that there is clear non-compliance with rental inflation caps. The balance between renters and landlords is the cause of this. Renters are terrified to go to the RTB or challenge landlords because there is such a scarcity of rental accommodation.

We need a culture change in how we approach rent in this country and our rental laws need to be rebalanced in favour of tenants. Labour has long called for a three-year rent freeze to give renters a break while new housing comes on the market. This is hugely important to try to stymie the crisis in the market, but it also must be done in tandem with the State building of cost rental schemes. This needs to be increased beyond the 2,000 units per year that have already been proposed if we are going to make a dent in housing and rental affordability.