Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Flynn asked a question and I happen to talk to people who have been made homeless. I also talk to landlords and builders to try to understand what the challenge is. The reality is that 43,000 landlords have left the housing sector in the last five years. If it is so attractive, why are people not rushing to get into this sector to make 5% or 10% margins? The majority of landlords, some 70%, own only one property and the reality is that it is not profitable for them. The income they receive from rental properties is taxable and because of rent pressure zones they cannot increase the rent, and most of them do not do so. If you talk to tenants the overwhelming majority say they have a good experience with their landlords. There are some bad landlords and I have no time for them, nor have I any time for bad tenants. The ultimate challenge we have is in supply and Housing for All is working. We all want more housing out there; that is our purpose in being here. There is no one in here who does not want to see everybody housed but we have to be realistic about what we want to achieve. The demonisation of anybody within the sector will not solve the problem; we have to talk to everybody, from Threshold to tenant organisations, landlords and builders, to be able to solve this problem.