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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has accused Sinn Féin of wanting to subsume People Before Profit (PBP) in a heated back and forth between the Taoiseach, Eoin Ó Broin and Richard Boyd Barrett.
The heated debate kicked off following questions from PBP’s Boyd Barrett, who called on the Government to support their bill to introduce new rent controls that would help push down rents.
The bill proposed by PBP seeks to cut rents across the country by capping them at 25% of median household incomes, and Boyd Barrett called on the Government to support it or they were not serious about the housing crisis.
“Are you serious about helping people suffering from the rental and housing crisis, or are you just spoofing?,” asked Boyd Barrett during Leaders Questions.
In response, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that the economic proposals brought by PBP and Sinn Féin would “undermine” the capacity of working people to afford “a lot of things”, saying it was due to an anti-enterprise agenda.
“The bottom line is that this Government has delivered an exceptionally strong economic recovery,” said Martin.
As he spoke Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin criticised him across the chamber – mentioning the Celtic Tiger and calling out the rising homelessness, house prices and rents.
While the Ceann Comhairle sought to stop the heckling, Martin called out Ó Broin, saying that the “truth hurts”.
“The truth hurts Deputy Ó Broin, you’re not leader of your party, would you allow Deputy Boyd Barrett [speak],” said Martin.
“I know you want to take him over and subsume People Before Profit into Sinn Féin but the least you could do currently is to allow him to have his say.”
Martin criticised the bill, calling it unworkable and that it would cause a “flood” of landlords to exit the rental market.
“I guess that’s a no then, you won’t be supporting a bill to reduce rents to affordable levels,” responded Boyd Barrett.
“I suppose [that's] not overly surprising by parties dominated by a disproportionate number of landlords relative to the population.”
Boyd Barrett also criticised the Government on its stance surrounding the eviction ban at the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
“Of course, when we said ‘stop evictions’, you said we couldn’t do it. Then you stopped evictions during Covid because you had to,” said Boyd Barrett, adding that homelessness had dropped during that period before shooting back up following the ending of the eviction ban.
PBP’s bill, the Rent Reduction Bill 2022, is set to be debated tomorrow morning.
Can someone explain to me, this threat of ‘a flood of landlords will leave the market’. If they leave the market, does this not give opportunities for people to get on the property ladder, where otherwise they wouldn’t.
@The Bolt: I presume if the landlord sells the house to someone wanting to get on the property ladder, the tenant then requires housing.
@The Bolt: To an extent. It does create an element of movement in the trickle down of supply, but overall, the value of a typical private rented property, in the Cities anyway, that has been in its ownership for some time, is not going to be affordable for people looking to convert from rental to ownership, especially if their current rent is supplemented.
@The Bolt: simple. A house rented is occupied by more people like a 3 bed house having 4 adults in it. When the property is sold it might only have 2 adults in it as they buy for future plans. One less rental on the market with 4 people looking a place. Maybe they can get the place the couple had but then you still have at least 2 people and 1 less rental
@The Bolt:
example .. i have 3 rentals
1) rented by a guy who never wants to work/ has worked in his life
2) 22 year single mother with 3 kids
3)Foreign professional here to work
neither of these are ever going to buy a place here
if this bill gets passed ( which it wont as its only fairytale populist nonsense)
i would sell the lot tomorrow
@The Bolt: the normal landlord has left as it is not worth the hassle. All that is left is the tax for them to drive up the price and for cookoo funds to be doing it tax free.
@The Bolt: they’ve driven a lot of small landlords out of the business already with a one-sided PRTB. When you add the demonisation of ordinary rental owners by the likes of SF/PBP, and the tax on all rent for small landlords and not on profit, it’s no wonder the big companies have taken over the market.
@John Mulligan: You are dead right. Its all SF/PBP’s fault. The Government are mere spectators. The sooner SF/PBP are voted out of office the better!
@John Mulligan: yeah, that would have absolutely ZERO to do with all the tax breaks your beloved FFG have given vulture investors. How FFG has cut social housing spend year on year but then have the like of Dublin council enter million euro deals with these investors to lease the homes built on subsidised public lands by subsidised developers. And it all SF and PBP fault.
@Craic_a_tower: That’s more or less the theory I had in my mind. One buys, then one takes their rental. Bit more complicated when you explain it like that. Thanks all for your input. Very informative.
@Aileen Lawlor: that would be way over 50% of the suppliers and those who provided a service for decades
FF & FG deserved to be obliterated at the next election!
@John Long: surely you can come up with something more elaborate than a one liner sound bite… Prob not tho..
@JG: I’ll leave the soundbites to Michéal, to be fair that’s all he has!
@John Long: SF/IRA were the masters in obliterating people and property not so long ago and the sneaking regarders love them for it now. Some hypocrisy.
@John Long: deserve !! No they just don’t tell porkies!!!
@Tony Mc Grath: Good Friday agreement is in existence since 1998 Tony, stop living in the past, we have all moved on since then.
@Tony Mc Grath: Well Martin and FF obliterated the country when they facilated the banks and developers. Of course Martin would not recall that as he stated there was no bank bailout. Ironically it was the FF/ Green government that brought this country to its knees . FG only added to the mess. Now the same three ring circus is in power. The only interest they share is preserving the status quo .
@John Long: and put the IRA army Council in charge?
No, thanks.
@John Mulligan: are you still trembling under that bed man. Grow apart and get out into the real world!!!
@John Mulligan: No just SF thanks :-)
@John Mulligan: but we did have members of your own beloved FFG party bringing in shipments of guns to Ireland for the IRA. One of who later went on to become taoiseach. So what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
@Donal Desmond:
So you are saying the Banks and Developers are the problem in Ireland and if they were gone Ireland would be better. Then wonders why houses aren’t built..
@Tony Mc Grath: a lot of people obliterated people even in the Republic check your history books
@John Mulligan: dear god please think a little bit better
How can anybody think that they can restrict all rents to 25% of the median salary? It is insanity. Is a penthouse in Dublin now suddenly worth the same as an old farm house in Donegal?
@Craic_a_tower: PBP know full well this bill would never pass. It’s nonsense legislation for the reason you stated. Boyb Barrett and co are simply virtue signaling and looking for sound bites.
The Dail should be converted to a multi story carpark. Much better use of prime real estate then the current donkey derby.
@Craic_a_tower: it excluded luxury properties. The bill is on their website
Dead duck Taoiseach, all he ever wanted was the top job, he has ignored the party’s grassroots who it has been reported are becoming increasingly concerned about their prospects for the next General Election. Knowing that Martin will be stepping down only adds to their frustration and seeing him react like that in the Dail is just plain embarrassing.
@Frank Cauldhame: Sinn Fein would be out of their minds to take in the Trots. Apart from the fact that PBP despise the shinners as populist nationalists with no commitment to scientific Marxism, the first thing Trotskyites do is split. That’s their record since Stalin had Leon Trotsky assasinated in 1940. SF plan is to take the seats the Trots won because there were no SF running mates in 2020.
Just as MM has allowed FG to subsume FF. just so he could be part time Taoiseach long enough to get the fat pension.
I think we need to replace all of the politicians that think a landlord is ‘providing’ housing with people who realise that landlords are resource hoarders.
@Sylvia Power: so you would remove all landlords? Genius
@dublindamo: the only people who think landlords should exist are landlords themselves. Been renting for 10 years and never met a landlord who was in any way decent. They literally just take 70% of your wages for nothing
@Sylvia Power: I, agree rent is dead money. Paying a, sizable chunk of earnings to someone else for privilege of living in a house they own. Then be told by a bank you cannot afford to buy your own house because u have to afford rent and morgage together for at least a, year…. Even tho you have paid someone elses mortgage for 15-20 years renting. House ownerhip should be mandatory in ireland. Everyone deserves a corner of this world that they can call their own..
@Sylvia Power: So in this world of yours where landlords don’t exist, how does housing work exactly? People habe nobody to rent from so the only options are buy a property or be homeless?
@Gavin Conran: china pulled it off… Homeless figures are 0. Basicly take u off the street give u a house a job and you pay the mortgage. Building not built for profit but for population to have a place to go.. Thing is thats a staple in socialism\comunism and its sad to see ppl in ireland feel that this is way to go because of the housing crisis. Its imposible for the averege joe to buy a house in ireland atm. Milenials are rooting for a recession just so they can afford to buy a house.. FF and FG are fecked in next election when SF will come into power and preety much make everyting above reality. GIVE US HOUSING OR LET SOMEONE WHO CAN IN POWER
@Gavin Conran: Public, non-profit rental.
@Patrick FitzGerald: again flirting with comunism there is a balance it just must be found.
@Gavin Conran: The option is public, not for profit housing. Look up Vienna where it’s a huge success. I actually beg you to not pop into a housing thread with the stupidest non-point of all time.
@Stefan Epure: yes but China tracks your every movement and rewards loyal cadres with housing and well we all know how it deals with disloyal cadres or anyone who questions the ruling party. Are you seriously saying let’s copy China here?
@Sylvia Power: get a better job
@Stefan Epure: China those thugs
@Andrew Galloway: Oh brilliant, your spectacular forward thinking has solved all problems. Well done you.
@Sylvia Power: it’s your problem that you didn’t buy a house ten years ago! Don’t be so childish to be putting the blame on others. It’s your problem and yours alone!
@JJ: What has that got to do with price of fish? Maybe lady wasnt old enough to buy a house 10 years ago. I certainly wasnt and i shouldnt have to invent a bloody time machine to be able to buy a house either.
@Sylvia Power:
Who paid the people that built the house? Or paid the person who previously owned the house? It’s not “nothing”. You’re paying for use of assets created by others. You’re talking about a radical overhaul of principles of ownership developed over centuries. Should I be able to just take your possessions for my own use?
Economic recovery?
From the crash his party created?
He’s tripping.
Whenever I see MM speaking, a memory stirs and today I remembered, he is such a carbon copy of Mr Burns (the Simson’s) and shares so many characteristics ,devious, greedy , answerable to no one etc and he also shares Burn’s body language which I believe is modelled on the praying mantis. Burn’s catch phrase “release the hounds” is appropriate, seems MM is never done with attacking SF which incidentally only boosts their standing and is embarrassing that MM does not have answers just retorts , yes FF is sliding to decline and the backbenchers already have the wind up, too late.
Martin will never learn. His attacks on sf are inept and only succeeed in promoting sf. But in reality a merger of ff and sf would work. Two centrist, nationalist , market parties, they are made for each other (depressing that this is all we have managed in a hundred years but there you go) Pbp should have nothing to do with Sf (I won’t be voting for them again if they do and I don’t think I am the only one who thinks this way). We have to get real change here, not simply one party offering more problem fixing (if only) money than the others. Ff, FG, sf are the past. And a shabby one at that. If only we could leave them there
@alan: how is Sinn Fein the past when that party has never held government in this state, for the change we need from the past mis governance of FFG socialist partners need to look at uniting to form a government of change in future. This in fighting of socialist leaning parties only feeds into FFG agenda. Become the solution not the problem!
@M Bowe: sf have been in govt in the north. Or does that not count? And it’s not in fighting on the left. Sf are not a left party (they have never claimed to be).
Beats FFG’s “but, but Sinn Féin” when they can’t answer questions. Which is always.
My lord Eamon Ryan, everyone else looking at him like will you just stop talking and sit down…
No because these buyers live with their parents
Landlords are the para$ite class. They contribute nothing, produce nothing but take from hard working families.
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