LIMERICK Labour TD and housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan has tabled a series of amendments to what he considers “the deeply flawed rent legislation that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will ram through the Dáil” this week.
Deputy Sheehan hit out that the Government is attempting to rush sweeping changes though the Oireachtas, “threatening the use of the guillotine” to get the “shoddy piece of legislation” through the Dáil on Wednesday.
“The bottom line is renters who are stuck in Ireland’s dysfunctional housing market will be screwed by what Government is proposing,” he said.
“Everything this Government has touched when it comes to housing has caused more stress and more uncertainty. It doesn’t have to be this way.
- External Walls: Up to €8,000 Grant
- Attic: Up to €1,500 Grant
- Cavity Walls: Up to €1,700 Grant
- Internal Dry Lining: Up to €4,500 Grant
“Rents have increased by over 100 per cent in the past decade, almost 50 per cent since Covid alone. What Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will, unbelievably, drive prices even higher again,” he told the Limerick Post.
Deputy Sheehan says he wants to see some ambition when it comes to renting in Ireland. The Labour Party has submitted amendments for landlords and renters alike, aiming to make sure that there are real protections for tenants, he said.
“Renters need a general, no-fault eviction ban for the next three years. It’s the best tool at Government’s disposal to stabilise the situation and stop people entering homelessness. We’re living through an emergency housing situation. The Government knows this, they’ve acknowledged this, let’s start at a very basic point and stop people being evicted,” he concluded.