Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

They have come out and said that what Sinn Féin said about it being 25% simply is not true. They said that the 25% was a projected figure over ten years. Deputy Doherty left that out. It is a projected figure over a period of ten years. Sinn Féin obviously recognises, or at least I think it does, there is a need for private investment to come into the rental market. I presume it does because its members keep meeting the companies. The lobbying register is full of times they, particularly Deputy Ó Broin, have met the companies to discuss these opportunities. Let us not scaremonger. People's rents are not increasing by 25% in March. No existing tenancy will see any change. Nationwide rent pressure zones will come into being. We will have an effective no-fault eviction ban.
Yes, for new tenancies, for the first time, the market rate can be set but then it must be locked except for allowing for inflation. That is a significant protection. All this is done with one aim only, that is, to increase more supply because without supply and private investment, according to the Housing Commission, we will not be able to have renters and home owners. We need to keep on doing supply.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26