I support the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. This legislation is about two things that renters and would-be renters need more than anything else, which are security and certainty. It strengthens tenants' protection in a way we have not seen before while creating clearer and more stable conditions for investment so we can grow our rental supply. Put bluntly, a rental system is nothing without the supply. It is not a system. It is a queue. We all know the reality. Too many people are paying too much for too little, with too little confidence about what happens next. The current framework, especially the uneven RPZ map, has not delivered the stability tenants deserve and has not provided the confidence needed to expand the pool of rental homes. The Housing Agency review made clear that the change is needed and that the Bill is that change. I will start with the tenant protections because they are substantial. From 1 March this year we will move to a national system of rent regulation. That means renter increases will be linked to the Irish consumer price index with a cap of 2% per annum pro rata for existing tenancies applied nationally and not just in certain zones. In plain English, every renter gets the protection, not just the lucky ones who happen to live on the right side of those RPZ boundaries. Second, this Bill introduces rolling tenancies of minimum duration of six years for new tenancies. This is a major step forward in security of tenure. It also significantly restricts so-called no-fault evictions, particularly for larger landlords. Tenants will have greater ability to put down roots, keep children in the same school and plan their lives without the constant fear a notice will land on their doormat within 12 months. At the same time, the Bill recognises the reality of the sector. It differentiates between smaller and larger landlords in a sensible way. Smaller landlords will have limited flexibility in defined circumstances, such as genuine hardship requiring sale or where a close family member needs to live in the property. Crucially, larger landlords will not be able to terminate for sale, refurbishment, own use or change of use. In other words, we are closing the door on arbitrary terminations while keeping the reasonable grounds where a tenant is not meeting obligations or where the home is no longer suitable for a household's needs. Let us now address the question that also comes up and that is supply. We all know that the long-term solution to high rents is more housing. Rent controls help but they cannot conjure more homes into existence. This Bill does something important. It pairs stronger protections with a framework that can retain and attract supply, including by allowing rents to be reset to market rent between different tenancies but only in tightly controlled circumstances and never following a no-fault termination. This is a critical safeguard against economic evictions. The Bill also sends a clear signal on apartment delivery. For new apartments, rent increases will be linked to the CPI without the 2% cap. The policy intent is straightforward. It is to provide predictable inflation linkage to support viability and investment in the kind of housing we need most in our cities and large towns. It is also a pro-supply measure, and it is essential. I want to illustrate this Bill in the wider reality of delivery. Nationally, 36,284 new homes were completed last year, up from 30,330 in 2024. That is a 20% increase. Apartment completions reached 12,047 units, up almost 39% and single dwelling completions rose to 5,929, up 12.5%. That is momentum and we need to build on it, not talk it down. The Government needs to pull every lever at its disposal because the answer to housing is supply, supply and more supply. We can see what it looks like on the ground in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. The council's own reporting shows the scale of ambition and delivery under way, including the Housing Delivery Action Plan targets of 1,994 social homes and 1,057 affordable homes, with the council now expecting to exceed the social housing target, rising to 2,142 social homes over the period. They are progressing affordable delivery in Woodbrook and unlocking major land and infrastructure opportunities in Lehaunstown with potential for hundreds of homes and local area plan areas with potential for over 1,000 more units. This is where I must make the political point because it needs to be said plainly. Once again, Deputies on the other side of the House oppose to efforts to build more homes and resolve the housing crisis but that is not surprising. They opposed the establishment of the LDA, which has developed 597 units in my constituency, and they are occupied. They were also opposed to supports for first-time buyers that have seen thousands of people buy their first homes. They were opposed to the rent pressure zones when they initially came in which gave renters the break. They were opposed to every effort to encourage private investment in housing, thus increasing supply. You cannot oppose every measure and then complain the system is not working. I also want to acknowledge the implementation because legislation is only as good as enforcement. The Bill is backed by increased resources for the RTB and the establishment of a rent price register to provide transparency, reduce disputes and strengthen compliance. I welcome the leadership of the Minister, Deputy Browne, on this. He is acting decisively to protect tenants while also creating the policy conditions to grow supply. The Bill is balanced, serious and necessary and it deserves the support of everyone in the House.

Sentiment score: 0.14