Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-24
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Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. As he knows, we have tabled an amendment to this motion. What began as a short-term emergency scheme has since evolved into a scheme increasingly used by landlords. Let us be fair: renting out under the scheme is more financially beneficial and more attractive than standard renting, especially in low-rent areas like the west, the north west and Border counties.
Crucially, the ARP is a non-means-tested, tax-free payment paid directly to landlords, something not available under any other housing support. That creates a clear inequality. In reality, most other payments in this country are means-tested. Pensions, medical cards and Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants are means-tested, yet this scheme allows individuals, sometimes on high incomes, to benefit from generous tax-free State payments. The scheme also allows landlords to avoid standard tenancy obligations and permits unregulated top-up payments, further disadvantaging renters.
For years, the Government has denied any negative impact on the private rental sector, despite consistent warnings from the Opposition. The Government's own report, Regulatory Impact Analysis Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, has now confirmed that the ARP is having a negative impact on the private rental sector. It provides a strong incentive to direct properties away from the long-term rental market, and its tax-free nature makes it more attractive than standard rental income, including supports like the housing assistance payment. That is the Government's own report, yet it is not taking the advice from it. This confirms what Sinn Féin and other Opposition parties have consistently argued, raising serious questions about the Government's transparency in the Dáil.
Sinn Féin's proposal, which is in the amendment we have proposed, is that we do not agree with the ARP being extended without significant reform. That would involve closing the scheme to new entrants, restricting it to primary residences only, introducing a means test for beneficiaries of temporary protection, which is so important considering that every person receiving every other benefit in the country is means tested, and banning top-up payments.
I am listening to everybody saying nobody rents out their house for money. That might be the case for some, but, by God, nobody lives in this country for free. A dog with a mallet up its arse would know renting a house out for €800 tax free would be more beneficial than renting a house out for €800 and paying 50% or 52% in tax. I am sorry but there is no way the Minister of State can stand here and say nobody is doing this for the money. The money is available and that is what people are doing it for. I am not referring to everybody because there are some renting out property because they want to help the Ukrainian people. Nobody else in this country is entitled to something like that. The 15,000 homeless people would not be entitled to something like that. We have to think fairly and put logic behind it.
A means test should be done. That is what we are asking for. We have been asking for it since last year or the year before. Means testing is not punishing. It means that if someone comes here from another country such as Ukraine and is working as a doctor on a massive wage, or working as a pharmacist, teacher or otherwise and getting paid for it, they should be means-tested, like everybody else in this country. It is a simple ask. We are not saying the payment should be stopped but that it should be means tested so the most vulnerable receive it and it is not a blanket payment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-24