Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

There is no choice but to support this Bill because the Government is aware that many in the Opposition have been calling for an extension to the rent pressure zones for years. However, this legislation is ill thought-out. The reality is that the Government is not being forthcoming in terms of how badly it will impact renters. Rents will rise and extra pressure will be put on renters. Under this Bill, rent can be reset to market rates when a tenancy ends. This is disastrous for student accommodation. We already know that students are under immense pressure when it comes to housing costs and even securing accommodation in the first place. This stress impacts their mental and physical well-being. The legislation offers them no protection. With most student tenancies running from September to May, it would mean that when the tenancy ends in May the landlord could hike up the rent to match market rates.

The Minister, Deputy Lawless, recently stated that students should not be inadvertently disadvantaged by the new rental laws, but we see zero protection of students within this legislation. The Government has positioned this as a positive way to increase market activity but the cost will blow back on the renter. Why is there so much resistance to making the cost of building lower and more affordable? Even though we have 15,000 people in our country who are homeless, the Government will not consider decreasing the VAT rate on construction materials for a period of three to five years. This would take approximately €50,000 off the price of a house. It would bring in builders, make it cheaper to build homes and increase market activity. Most importantly, it would give renters, young couples and families a chance to own their own homes. We cannot keep up with the demand for housing and yet there are no concrete steps to bring down the cost of construction. This practical suggestion could be implemented by the Minister in the morning and it would unlock private housing delivery throughout the country.

If the Government refuses to engage on this point, we will continue to see a rise in homelessness figures as well as rental rates that will lock people out of the housing market.