John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Warfield referenced a rent freeze, which Sinn Féin often does, but as I have said before, we do not have to look too far away from here to Berlin, where a left-wing government introduced a rent freeze. What did that result in? It resulted in a 50% reduction in the private rental stock available on the market. Not only that but it was struck down by the Federal Constitutional Court not long after that. What is contained in this Finance Bill is a tax credit for renters. It is €500 for this calendar year of 2022 and €500 for the calendar year of 2023. A couple in rented accommodation will have from January a tax credit of €2,000. That is more than equivalent to the one month's rent back in renters' pockets that Sinn Féin often touts. However, what it does not say is that with the other hand it will take €32,000 off you in the context of the help-to-buy scheme, which is also, rightly, included in this Finance Bill.