Coppinger: Housing Minister is private landlord

The Anti-Austerity Alliance has accused two Ministers of bias in the area of rent controls because they themselves are both private landlords.

The Anti-Austerity Alliance has criticised the fact that that many TDs, including the Housing Minister Paudie Coffey are themselves private landlords.

The party's housing policy calls for rent controls on private property, while the state would also undertake major building programmes to provide affordable housing.

Ruth Coppinger said that TDs including Ministers Alan Kelly and Minister Coffey oppose rent control because they would themselves be negatively affected by it.

"One in four of our TDs are landlords, with multiple properties," she said.

"Paudie Coffey is - he's the Housing Minister. Doesn't that make him somewhat biased?

"Alan Kelly's a landlord as well.

"That's why they have this in-built idea of not wanting to interfere with the market."