Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

I thank the Minister for being in the House to address this important legislation. I have been a tenant myself, and also an accommodation provider for many years. I set up an approved housing body called Tiglin, which the Minister is aware of. We have accommodated hundreds of people over the years, including most recently many Ukrainian refugees.

I deal with the human element behind the numbers we are dealing with regarding homelessness, housing issues, etc. They are not just numbers or zones on maps. You are dealing with individuals who are coming undone and are perhaps a rent increase away from homelessness. I agree with the Minister that we have a duty to shield these individuals from uncertainty, and I understand the challenges he is facing in his very unenviable position as the housing Minister.

I am, however, concerned about the way this legislation has been announced in that it is creating a lot of confusion among the public. I do not think ordinary people understand it. The deadline for changes seems very rushed. This was brought up on today's Order of Business by my colleague Senator Boyhan. I know I was up until all hours pulling out the last bit of hair I have on my head due to frustration from looking at the Bill. If we find it overcomplicated, I wonder what the average person out there thinks.

Tenants are now concerned about whether their rent will go up. Landlords are wondering if it is worthwhile investing in this market. While what we are discussing today is new temporary legislation until the real legislation kicks in, we urgently need clarity to encourage an increase in supply, and that seems to be the main issue. The constant changing of laws is perhaps not a good thing as it will not encourage confidence or investment.

Today, I heard the Minister on the airwaves and I also read the Central Bank report regarding the lower forecasts for the number of houses to be delivered, with housing completions hitting approximately 32,500 this year, 37,500 next year and 41,500 in 2027. I sit on the housing committee and I am hearing those numbers are way off. I realise there are infrastructure problems, etc., but it is something we need to treat as an emergency in the same way, as I have mentioned here before, that we treated Covid and the Ukraine war. We managed to get it resolved by having a whole-of-society approach. The Government does not have the resources to do this on its own. As my colleague Senator Fitzpatrick said, we need everybody working together.

I deal with a lot of people through my homeless café, the Lighthouse, and I see a generation of younger people at a disadvantage in the housing sector. They are caught in a loop of high rents and a lack of available properties. Now we see students who are going to be disadvantaged by upward rental reviews when they leave at the end of the academic year. That will put further costs and pressures on young people. I am also concerned about the many emails I have received from people saying they have provided accommodation in rural parts of Ireland where local hotels have been turned into IPAS accommodation and they are the only tourist accommodation. That will now fall under this new legislation in the context of the rent pressure zones. That will create a further shortage of tourism and will have a side effect on businesses, pubs and restaurants in the local area. It is concerning that the administrative burden is also increasing on smaller landlords and the definition of smaller landlords, etc. Many of these providers will be driven from the market, and that is my concern.

I am a member of the housing committee. The witnesses who gave evidence to the committee in recent weeks said the issue here is housing supply and the only way to address what we are dealing with is by increasing that supply. Everything else is a sticking plaster and I think we all know that but I do not see anything in this Bill that will increase supply. The housing numbers are the biggest single obstacle to housing and it seems there is a blockage in the housing supply. Last week, I addressed the LDA and the Housing Agency and asked where the blockage is. It seems that is in local authorities but when you talk to local authorities they say, "No, the housing numbers have not been given." Is it in the Government? Is it in the national assemblies or the NPF? That is where the blockage is. We need to clear the blockages and all work together. We need to incentivise supply and then protect renters.