Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2020-07-31
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Martin Conway (FG), Administrative Panel

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach.
I warmly congratulate and tAire Stáit, Teachta Burke, on his appointment which is a well-deserved one and I will welcome him in what I believe is his first visit to the Seanad. He has a big job of work to do but no better man.
This legislation is very welcome. I will pick up on one point that the Minister of State has made which is about striking a balance. This is about being fair and supportive - and rightly so - of tenants who find themselves in difficulty and in desperately challenging situations as a result of this pandemic. It also recognises the constitutional rights of landlords which can sometimes be overlooked. This legislation is trying to achieve what we all want to see which is fairness.
Senator Fitzpatrick is very correct on the challenge we face with the housing crisis, particularly in urban areas. Since 2016, between private and public housing, 50,000 houses were built and in the fullness of time former Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, will get credit for at least doing his level best to manage the situation and to get stock built. The one way of dealing with the housing crisis is by building houses. There is a chronic shortage of houses and when one has a situation where supply and demand do not meet and where an equilibrium is not achieved, then, unfortunately, prices go up, and it is expensive for people to try to purchase houses. We have all dealt with people who were not in a position to get a mortgage even though they both had what would be considered well-paid good jobs.
The way one deals with properties for rent is by increasing the supply. The more houses that are built the more properties that are available for rent as well. It is certainly the ambition of this Government to deal with the housing stock situation head-on and to engage in a large-scale building programme. This, in itself, will create jobs in the short to medium term, outside of its long-term benefits to society.
Building houses in strategic areas to prevent the development of ghettos is extremely important. The planning process must continually be looked at to ensure that it is streamlined for people who wish to build houses.
The various aspects of this Bill are, as the has Minister outlined, timely and appropriate. Legislation passed by this House at the beginning of the pandemic was essential and achieved what it set out to achieve. However, it is appropriate now to amend that legislation with this Bill.
My colleague, Senator Cummins, is the Fine Gael spokesperson on housing but he was not in a position to be here today. He has spoken at length about the challenges faced by provincial cities such as Limerick and Waterford. The Leas-Chathaoirleach has spoken about the challenges facing Cork. Sometimes the narrative about the housing crisis tends to get focused on Dublin but it also exists in other areas. We have seen the success of the rent pressure zones and I think that constant monitoring of those zones and the introduction of new ones, where appropriate, is a welcome measure.
The work that the Minister of State has to do is significant. He and the Minister know the challenge that lies ahead and I wish them all the best in trying to achieve a housing programme through which everyone who needs a home will get one.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-07-31