Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has accused Minister Darragh O’Brien and his government of leaving renters high and dry once again ahead of the Dáil breaking for summer this week.

Deputy Ó Broin was speaking tonight after the government voted to remove all solutions from a Sinn Féin motion aimed at easing the worsening burden on renters.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Rents across the state have increased by 23% since Darragh O’Brien became Minister for Housing three years ago.

“In counties such as Clare and Longford, the average increases are a staggering 43% and 54%. 

“When it comes to housing, this Government has failed year after year, and the reality is that it has never been as hard to be a renter as it is now.

“Renters have never been so insecure, have never paid such high rents and have never been at greater risk of homelessness. 

“And that is the greatest mark of the failure of the Minister and his colleagues – the dramatic rise in the number of children, men and women, including over-55s and over-65s, in emergency accommodation. 

“Homelessness has increased by 39% since Darragh O’Brien became Minister, while child homelessness has increased by a staggering 44%.

“Sinn Féin’s motion this week offered the government an opportunity to do right by renters, and reduce the risk of more people becoming homeless, before the Dáil breaks for the summer recess.

“We called for a three-year ban on rent increases and the creation of a refundable tax credit to put a month’s rent back in every private renter’s pocket.

“We urged the government to implement an emergency response to stem the rise in homelessness including a temporary reintroduction of the ban on no-fault evictions, and to expand the tenant-in-situ scheme for social and cost-rental tenants.

“We also called on government to use emergency planning and procurement powers, combined with new building technologies and vacant homes, to provide an additional stream of public housing to reduce the numbers of people in emergency accommodation.

“But Darragh O’Brien and his government refused to take onboard any of our solutions. 

“Instead, he opted to once again leave renters high and dry.  

“Shame on him, and shame on this government.”