Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has spoken on the government’s new Residential Tenancies Bill today in Dáil, saying that it shows that the government is out of touch and out of ideas on the crisis in the private rental sector.

Deputy O’Broin said that the Bill guarantees more rent increases and does not introduce tenancies of indefinite duration. 

Teachta Ó Broin said: 

“This latest piece of legislation maintains the non-effective rent pressure zone measures. It also does not introduce tenancies of indefinite duration, contrary to what the Minister for Housing has claimed.

“Maintaining a system that allows for any rent increase indicates to me that this government doesn’t care about renters.

“The new 2% cap is meaningless as landlords regularly breached the previous 4% cap and the inflation cap, which we can see from the latest RTB figures. Furthermore, the sneaky part of this new legislation is that it allows for cumulative percentage rent rises. 

“Renters can’t take anymore rent increases. This morning a report covered by the Irish Times highlighted how Dublin is now the sixth most expensive city in the world to rent in. This is incredible.

“The Minister is also being dishonest when he states that they are introducing tenancies of unlimited duration. Removing the Part 4 anomaly in existing legislation is welcome but it will do little to help tenants to stay in their homes.

“If the government genuinely wanted to introduce tenancies of unlimited duration, it would remove all of the section 34 no fault evictions. 

“The unaffordability of rented homes happened under Fine Gael’s watch. Now they are being aided and abetted by Fianna Fáil and despite all their election promises, the Green Party.

“The most depressing part of this whole picture is that it is not going to get better. A KPMG report commissioned by Dublin City Council has indicated that average rents in Dublin will reach €2,412 by 2028. 

“This means a household will need a take home pay of €7,236 per month. This is jaw dropping.

“The facts are that this government has no desire to help the tens of thousands of renters across the state. Hiding behind the Constitution is lazy and dishonest, and I have no faith in this government to fix the crisis.

“We need to see an emergency three-year ban on rent increases, a refundable tax credit for all renters and genuinely affordable cost rental homes. That is what Sinn Féin would do.”