SINN Féin Deputy Maurice Quinlivan has called for the introduction of a refundable tax credit equivalent to one rent payment. The Limerick TD made the call as part of a plan to alleviate pressure on renters.
Deputy Quinlivan was speaking on a Sinn Féin motion in support of the provision of supports for renters.
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Quinlivan stated: “More and more people are struggling to pay rent, including families who have rented for years but the rent just keeps going up. To put it simply, hard-working people cannot keep pace with rising rents. Rent is out of control. In Quarter Two of 2020 the standard average rent in Limerick was €1,027.07 per month. By Quarter Two 2021, it was €1,122.67 per month. A 9.3 per cent increase year on year. Some of the amounts being sought for rent, you would see on the Upper east side of Manhattan, not Limerick. There are only two family homes available to rent for less than €2,000 a month- Minister [O’Brien] this is a disaster.”
Deputy Quinlivan hit out at the Government for not taking any steps in last week’s budget to aid struggling renters: “A Government that was serious about addressing housing concerns would have taken some action. One would think that the budget was a prime opportunity to do so. But not this government. This Government offered renters nothing in the recent budget. Nothing that would alleviate, even a little, of the pressure on renters.”
The Sinn Féin Deputy outlined some the proposals of his party to address the rental crisis, including a tax credit for renters and the amending of the Residential Tenancy Act to remove the return of a family member as a legitimate reason for eviction.
Concluding his remarks, the Sinn Féin TD added: “Housing is the challenge that we must get right. The Government, in its budget, missed an opportunity to ease the pressure on renters. Sinn Féin in government stand ready to tackle these issues and make a positive difference to ease some of the burden on renters.”
