Michael Noonan denies rift with Alan Kelly over rent controls
Environment Minister Alan Kelly wants the Government to put controls on rents for specified periods. Some reports say for up to four years.
However, Mr Noonan and many Fine Gael backbenchers have resisted the Labour minister’s plans.
Mr Noonan told reporters in Limerick: “There isn’t any difficulty between Alan and myself. We reached a point on budget day and we announced what we had agreed and there’ll be further announcements in coming weeks, again on the basis of agreement.”
Mr Noonan said a number of initiatives are being evaluated. He said the problem was “quite difficult”, particularly in the greater Dublin area.
“So we’ll wait and see where it lands. The talks are going on and we are not in a position to make the next series of announcements yet. But we will in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
Mr Noonan said as well as funding for housing programmes announced in the budget, more initiatives will be announced and these will be principally driven by Mr Kelly’s department.
He said civil servants from both departments were having discussions to drive the situation forward.
