Dublin City Flat Complex Retrofit and Regeneration: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-06
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Paul Murphy (PBP), Dublin South-West

I have had the pleasure over the last number of months of visiting a lot of flats in the north inner city. This is in the context of both the by-election and the campaign against the rent increases, which is a Dublin-wide campaign even though we are at different phases. It is interesting to hear the TDs from the constituency talk because what strikes you is the very deep sense of community due to people living so close together. It is a very strong sense of community and solidarity. These are really great people. That is on the one hand, but what also strikes you is the pretty horrific conditions in which people have to live in 2026. There is mould everywhere. There are stories of people repainting their flats over and over. There are rats. Obviously there is overcrowding, which is chronic across the city. It is utterly unacceptable. What we have heard about the Oliver Bond Street complex is outrageous. People have had their time wasted, have been led up the garden path and then have been left waiting again in horrific conditions because of what is effectively a tick-box approach to resolving the housing crisis, as opposed to dealing with the situations people are facing.
It is outrageous that people who are living in such poor conditions have been asked, forced or compelled to pay even more in rent. It is outrageous that the argument for them to pay more in rent to Dublin City Council – an average increase of 30% - is wrapped up in the language of the council wanting to be a good landlord. It wants to be a good landlord so it has left people living in crap for years and years or even decades, and now it wants them to pay more for the privilege of it. It is outrageous. The main responsibility for that goes to central government for not properly funding our councils, but there is a lesson here for Labour and the Greens in particular because it was a horrendous mistake to vote to increase these people's rents.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-06/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:54+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-06