Rental protection Bill
Deputy Murphy argued the proposed rental protections were too narrow and failed to stop major rent increases for most tenants. The Taoiseach said blanket rent bans were not legally or constitutionally open to Government, but the housing Minister would bring further proposals.
I thank the Ceann Comhairle. That was a cop-out by the Taoiseach.
Last week's details of a so-called rental protection Bill suggested this would be a plan to stop the double rent hikes many tenants are facing in the next month, but the details of the plan fail to address the actual scale of the problem. Hundreds of thousands of tenants are living in fear of rent hikes of €150 or €200 per month but the Government's proposal will only protect a few hundred. Worse still, even for those few hundred, it kicks the can down the road to January and does not stop landlords imposing this year's rent hikes, and last year's, at that point in time by up to 12%. If one accepts an 8% rent increase is unaffordable then surely one can see the problem with a triple hike. As well as a wave of rent increases we are seeing a wave of evictions now the eviction ban is lifted. Over 1,000 households have been given an eviction notice in the past ten months. That will become a tsunami of evictions unless real action is taken. Will the Taoiseach take action to deal with this issue?
Comment on this
Yes. As I said earlier, the Minister with responsibility for housing will be extending the legislation to protect tenants and protect those who are vulnerable because of Covid-19 and its impact on their incomes, with 475 people having availed of that protection to date. It is not open to the Minister, either constitutionally or legally, to have a blanket ban on rent increases. It simply is not open to him. However, he will be bringing proposals before the House in relation to these rental issues.