I agree with the Cathaoirleach's moving tribute to and for Brian Crowley. Brian was only 61.

I knew him pretty well and I always found him really committed, energetic and passionate about his constituents, his community and people in general. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family on his passing.

Renters in this country are being abused every day by our broken housing system. Rents are sky high and the quality of properties is often in the gutter. On average, a one-bedroom apartment goes for more than €2,000 a month, which is completely out of reach for all but a tiny proportion of individuals. It is essentially impossible for a young working person living in Dublin to rent their own apartment, which is the norm for a working professional in most other comparable European cities.

This situation only leaves a handful of options for people. These options include living at home well into their adult lives, renting rooms in shared houses for years or hoping to make use of a social housing scheme. For individuals in this city, particularly single parents, none of these are particularly good options. I often think about a young single father in my area whose income is only marginally above the social housing limit. He does not make enough to pay rent for himself and his son and yet he is left with absolutely no support from the State. What options does he have? Will he have to couch surf forever? Will he have to look for the one-in-a-million-house share that is family friendly, while shelling out on rent instead of being able to save for a mortgage?

I was contacted by another person in my constituency who is renting a two-bedroom apartment for €2,500 a month. That is absolutely insane. In October 2025, she had a major leak in her hallway. A plumber was called who made a gaping hole in the wall so he could access the pipes, and then he promptly left. To make matters worse, her heating then broke, and this family has been living in the cold since November. A month later, after constant calls and emails to the landlord and agents, this hole is still there, the heating remains broken and the plumbing leak was never fixed, letting constant seeping sewage, cold water and flies into the apartment. Having finally had enough, the tenant informed the landlord she wanted to leave the property and was promptly told she would not be getting any of her deposit back despite the landlord being the one who had failed to provide a comfortable and safe home. The tenant pays the landlord’s mortgage, and more on top, and does not get anything in return, other than a leaky, overpriced roof over her head. In what world is that fair or just?

Our housing system is designed, from top to bottom, to benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor. I urge the Minister for housing to come in here to explain how he plans to make renting in this country a fair option for working people.