Rising rents and housing costs
Deputy O'Callaghan highlighted record rents, house prices, homelessness and delayed home ownership, arguing the Government was failing on housing. The Tánaiste agreed rents are unacceptably high and pointed to the upcoming rent credit and expanded cost rental.
It appears from the Tánaiste's comments that he is not aware of how seriously the housing disaster is affecting people. Is he not aware that Dublin is the most expensive capital city in the European Union in which to rent according to the OECD and EUROSTAT? Since this Government took office, rents and house prices have reached record levels, as have the number of people living in emergency accommodation for homeless people and the number of people in their 20s and 30s still living in their childhood bedrooms. At the same time, rates of home ownership continue to fall. Despite all of this, the Government has somehow failed to spend almost €500 million allocated for housing in the first nine months of this year. It is little surprise then that the Government will not meet any of the targets it set itself for the delivery of social, affordable or cost-rental homes. Does the Tánaiste accept that renting is more affordable in Paris, Berlin, Rome or any other European capital city than it is Dublin?
Comment on this
I am very aware that rents are extremely high not just in Dublin, but across Ireland, and that we compare unfavourably with most other European capital cities.
Comment on this
Perhaps it is all. I am not sure about London, which is still part of Europe, although let us not go there. We all agree that rents in Ireland and in Dublin are unacceptably high. What can we do about it? A rent credit will kick in within the next few weeks. This will put €1,000 back into the pocket of the average single renter and €2,000 into the pockets of a couple. That will help. The best part of a month's rent will be back in renters' pockets within a few weeks. We are scaling up cost rental, a new form of rental where the Government provides properties for rent. We need to see a lot more of that. There are also the rent pressure zones. I refer the Deputy to the Daft report from earlier in the week. When properly studied and understood, it shows that, for the vast majority, 75%, of renters, rents increased by approximately 2.5%. That is the result of the rent pressure zones.