Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To have a properly functioning property market, we need confidence and investment. I have listened intently yesterday and today. I wonder how some people think they can achieve this if we stop people from selling their property and interfere with laws governing landlords and tenants, as we have done already. I would suggest that the ban on selling rental properties has not bred confidence in this sector and has put fear into investors. This has increased sales and escalated the problem. It would have been far more prudent to have used a carrot with landlords instead of a stick. This was the biggest mistake we made. Sooner or later, this will need to be addressed. We need a serious and honest debate about this. I know that legislation was enacted here yesterday and it has been talked about, but I think we need to start at the beginning on this.