Enda Kenny asked to ‘declare national housing emergency’

Taoiseach Enda Kenny should declare a national emergency on rent and housing, a leading homeless campaigner has said.

It comes after a package aimed at tackling the housing and rent crisis was announced, which includes capping rent increases to once every two years, providing developers with incentives to build more affordable housing and stipulating that landlords must give proof they are selling a property if they evict a tenant for this reason.

However, the measures have been criticised by groups representing tenants and those at risk of homelessness, as well as landlord bodies.

Fr Peter McVerry, working with the homeless in Dublin for more than 30 years, said the proposals will not help families struggling to pay rents.

On the other side, a group representing landlords said it was seeking legal advice on the measures which are reportedly too restrictive on those who lease out properties.

Under the legislation, for which Environment Minister Alan Kelly again yesterday could not give an exact introduction date, the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) will be given further powers.

Although the PTRB will have more responsibilities under the plan, Fianna Fáil revealed the board has lost 45% of staff in recent years falling from 65 in 2010 to just over 30 in 2014.

Fr McVerry said the new measures do give some certainty but without increasing rent allowance they will have little or no impact on those already struggling.

“We have an emergency here. If we had a foot-and-mouth emergency, the Taoiseach would call all the players around the table, they would devise a plan within 24 hours and everybody would be singing off the same hymn sheet.

“Here we have an emergency, nothing of any substance is happening, the different players are fighting with each other, Michael Noonan is fighting with Alan Kelly, Joan Burton is fighting with Alan Kelly over the rent supplements and the local authorities are fighting with Alan Kelly. I would be calling on the Taoiseach to declare a housing and homeless emergency.”

However, he pointed out that it would be almost impossible for the Government to do this as it would be “admitting to a policy failure, and the Taoiseach cannot admit to a policy failure coming up to an election”.

Separately, Margaret McCormack of the Irish Property Owners Association said it was “unjustifiable” to limit the property rights of one group to benefit another group of people.

She said when the legislation, which she said “appears to be unconstitutional”, is published the body will be examining it and looking into taking a legal challenge.

However, Fintan McNamara of the Residential Landlords Association said: “I don’t believe a legal challenge would be successful.”