Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Chris Andrews (SF), Labour Panel

Yes, all right. In regard to the RTB, the Minister said there is significant funding but the RTB was set up by a Fianna Fáil Government. Yet the Minister claimed Sinn Féin was looking to divest powers from councillors to organisations like the RTB. That is a bit ironic given that the Minister's Department set it up so I am not sure how he can blame Sinn Féin for divesting power to the RTB when Sinn Féin has not been in government. We did not set up the RTB, so I wanted to clarify that.
The Minister mentioned security of tenure and how important it is. Everybody agrees that it is important. It is so important we have security of tenure, but this will not give any huge comfort to tenants who cannot afford the rent because of a lack of affordability. People with disabilities are €1,400 down after the previous budget, so where will they find it? Where will an individual working and living with a disability and in accommodation find the extra money that rents will increase by? Such people are already down, so it will increasingly put pressure on people with disabilities. It is inevitable that individuals with disabilities will find themselves before the RTB. The numbers of people in front of the RTB will clearly increase. I made a few comments there.
Senator Cosgrove mentioned funding and the Minister said local authorities have to address the issues themselves and not keep looking for more and more money. Unfortunately, the council does not have the funding it needs. It is now raising the rents. This is thanks to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors who are putting up rents at a time when people cannot afford it. The cost of living is going through the roof so it is very difficult for everybody.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:39+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19