Mary Lou McDonald

It cannot impose financial penalties. It cannot reach into these corporate structures. What is the Taoiseach going to do about that? Will he please answer my question on safeguarding legislation-----

-----mandatory reporting and the need for social care teams to have access to these homes to protect these very vulnerable elderly people?

The CEO of HIQA is before a committee today looking for more powers. Answer my questions.

Then answer the questions.

No, answer the question.

It is not sufficient.

And the CEO-----

Then answer the questions that are put to you.

And I would expect answers-----

-----to my questions.

As am I. I am entitled to answers to my questions.

Most students rent their accommodation in the private sector. Every autumn they struggle to find accommodation. Those who are lucky enough to do so pay extortionate rents. Others, who are not so lucky, face very long commutes. The consequences on their lives for their studies are very serious. In worst case scenarios, students have had to defer their course or have dropped out of their studies bec…

His message to them is that their rent is going to go up.

The Government forces up their rent. It does not care.

We have had more than a decade of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael presiding over a housing emergency and now the Government proposes to force ripped-off renters to carry the can for its failures. The Government's plan for the private rental sector is really Fianna Fáil's rent hike Bill. It can spoof all it wants; the only certainty from this move is rent will increase for every renter. It is only a ques…

It might interest the Taoiseach to know that, far from having an ideological objection to rental accommodation, I was raised in rental accommodation. Imagine that.

I have no ideological objection. As a matter of fact, I am determined that renters, whether long-term renters, as is the case with my family, or shorter term renters, which is the more normal experience, are not fleeced and gouged in the way that is currently happening. I do not know how blunt or clear we have to be with the Taoiseach, but renters now pay thousands of euro more than just a few sho…

I appeal to the Taoiseach-----

-----not to do that. Renters have had enough.

The Taoiseach must have some decency and some consideration for people who are struggling.

Blah, blah, blah.

That is not true.

Who is in government?

There are record rents.

It will increase rent.