Opposition accuses Government of making 'sacrificial lambs' of renters

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said the reality of the rental market was 'dystopian'. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The Taoiseach has been accused of turning renters into "sacrificial lambs" under the Government's new rent rules.

The Government announced sweeping changes to the rent system on Tuesday that will cap rent increases at the rate of inflation. However, in times of high inflation, hikes for most tenancies will be limited to a maximum of 2%.

The changes will also end ‘no-fault evictions’ for larger landlords — those with four or more tenancies — who will no longer be able to terminate a tenancy where the tenant has met their obligations, except in very limited circumstances.

However, speaking during Wednesday's leaders' questions, Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said the Government was "gambling" with the changes. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald branded them "a shambles".

Mr O'Callaghan said the reality of the rental market was "dystopian".

"Instead of protecting renters, [the Government's] big plan is to use them as sacrificial lambs and to bleed them dry. Incredibly, yesterday the minister for housing, James Browne, claimed that rents would eventually come down but he could not tell us when this was going to happen. 

Before being put in charge of housing, the minister was responsible for gambling. It now seems he is gambling with renters' future and betting against them.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin rejected the criticisms, saying renters would not be affected in the short-term.

“The bottom line is, I repeat again, all existing tenants will not have their rents increase beyond 2% and no attempts by you to sow confusion will change that reality,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister for further and higher education has been accused of agreeing a decision that will deepen the accommodation crisis for students.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy criticised James Lawless as he attended the Oireachtas committee on further and higher education and research. Mr Murphy said he noted how in the minister’s opening statement to the committee he referred to the lack of affordable accommodation is a “big barrier” for students attending tertiary education.

“Yet, you are part of the Government that yesterday signed off on a plan that is going to make that crisis for students a lot worse.

“Students are arguably the group that is hit hardest, so students who are in rental accommodation will effectively not have any rental protection whatsoever.”

“When asked about it, you say that you'll be meeting with Minister Brown to trash out how this will work,” Mr Brown said.

I don't understand; You're there at the Cabinet. Student accommodation is one of the biggest issues in higher education. How have you not already thought this through?

Mr Lawless rejected the criticism in an — at times — tense exchange with Mr Murphy.

The plans will come into effect next March, he said. “There's a lot of water under the bridge between now next March."

He plans to sit down with James Browne and “delve into the detail about how it affected student accommodation sector”, he added.

Committee chair Erin McGreehan said she did not think it was fair to interrogate the minister on plans that have not yet been finalized.

“Respectfully, I think your job as chair is not to defend [or] to protect the minister from questioning,” Mr Murphy said.