Sex-for-rent law 'will not address wider housing crisis or power imbalances'

Oireachtas Library and Research Service says law will fill a 'legislative gap' but problems with Ireland’s rental system remain

A Seanad cross-party group with representatives from women’s rights and student organisations  and Labour leader Ivana Bacik at Leinster House last April ahead of a debate on the bill to ban sex-for-rent arrangements. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews

New laws to ban “sex-for-rent” will tackle an issue that is “not a once-off and has become increasingly common in Ireland’s precarious housing market”, research has suggested.

An analysis of the proposed legislation by the Oireachtas Library and Research Service said that while it will fill a “current legislative gap”, further problems with Ireland’s rental system will remain.