Sinn Féin TD for County Clare Donna McGettigan has called for a ban on rent increases in the private rental sector.
Deputy McGettigan made her call as the latest Daft.ie rent report showed rents in County Clare increasing by 10.4% in the last year to the end of March.
She said, “the latest Daft.ie rent report is more bad news for renters. Rents have increased by double digits in Clare. Average rents here now stand at €1,503.”
“The spiraling cost of rent is a direct consequence of government failure to deliver sufficient volume of social, affordable rental and affordable purchase homes. As a consequence, too many people are being forced into a shrinking private rental sector.”
“Government must recognise that its failing housing plan is the cause of the problem. They must increase and accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes to at least 25,000 new public homes per year.”
“In the meantime, renters need a break. Government must introduce an emergency three-year ban on rent increases and put a full month rent back into every private tenant’s pocket through a fully refundable tax credit.”