Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said a “false argument” is being made that there is a “conflict” between the rights of landlords and their tenants.
He argued that the “demonisation of landlords” in recent years has led to higher rents and fewer properties in the rental market. Hours later a fiery argument erupted between Mr Varadkar and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald in the Dail.
It came after the Government announced the eviction ban would be lifted from March 31. The decision was primarily driven by concern that keeping the ban in place would drive more landlords from the market. This has led to criticism the Government has favoured the rights of landlords over tenants.
Read more: Leo Varadkar declares he is landlord ahead of Government decision to end eviction ban
The Taoiseach dismissed this argument, warning that landlords and tenants depended on each other. Mr Varadkar said: “One of the errors that is easily made in prescribing solutions to the housing crisis is only looking at one aspect of it and not seeing how everything is interlinked and how one action here can actually make things worse there.
“That is something we had to give consideration to. I think there’s kind of a false argument being made at the moment that there’s a conflict between the rights of landlords and the rights of renters. Renters need landlords and landlords need renters. What’s happened in the past number of years is 40,000 landlords have left the market and they haven’t been replaced by new landlords.
“That’s why people are in such long queues looking at a property when it becomes available. That’s why rents for properties that are new to the market are so high, because there are so few and we need to get landlords back into the market. We need to stem out the number that are leaving.
“When we made the decision that we did, we were taking into account primarily the interests of people who are renting and who are tenants or are future renters. Not just the interest of landlords.”
The Taoiseach added: “There has been a demonisation of landlords by our political system. It hasn’t worked. In fact, it caused harm. It made rents higher. It’s made fewer properties available. It’s really hurting people.”
In the Dail yesterday Ms McDonald said “the Government had a choice between wealthy investment funds and corporate landlords and the needs of ordinary people”.
She added: “True to form, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail show up for the landlords and the investment funds.”
Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar last night told a Fine Gael meeting that there is a shortfall of 250,000 homes needed to resolve the housing crisis. A source added: “He said there needs to be at least 40,000 homes built every year.”
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