Latest rent report shows government failing to tackle the rental crisis in hitting County Monaghan hard – Matt Carthy TD
Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has said that the latest Daft.ie rental report for the second quarter of 2021, which indicates that rents in County Monaghan have increased by 12.8% across the state, shows that government housing failures are hitting every community. The state-wide rent increases of 5.6% represent the biggest increase since the middle of 2019.
Teachta Carthy said:
“The latest Daft.ie report makes for grim reading and reflects that hardships faced by many families. It shows that the average asking rent across the state is now €1,477, 5.6% higher than the same period last year.
“But, while rents in Dublin are up 0.5%, across the rest of the state, in 17 counties, rents have increased by more than 10% in one year.
“But, in County Monaghan, rents have increased by nearly 13%. The report also indicates that rental supply is low with only 800 homes available to rent outside of Dublin, an experience familiar to many people in this county who have lived the reality of the outworking of Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael’s housing policies.
“Darragh O’Brien has now been in office for over a year and the rental crisis is worse than it was under both Fine Gael housing ministers Simon Coveney and Eoghan Murphy.
“If the government had done what was necessary and banned rent increases at an earlier stage, and backed two Sinn Féin bills, which would have done so, many hard-pressed renters would have been saved from these rent hikes.
“As it stands, we do not know how many of the 390 cost rental units promised for this year will actually be delivered.
“The Minister’s Housing for All Plan has been delayed due to wrangling between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“The government must commit to a dramatic increase in capital investment in affordable housing to rent and buy. They must also ban rent increases for three years, and introduce a refundable tax credit for renters that would put one month’s rent back in every renter’s pocket.
“We need to see affordable cost rental homes delivered at scale where they are needed. We also need the Minister to commit to investigating the disorderly exit of landlords from the market.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael representatives need to take this crisis seriously as, under their watch, things are getting worse, not better.”
ENDS
