Dramatic measure to protect Laois renters

Rent rises should be banned in Laois and the rest of the country according to local Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley who said the rents have reached unsustainable levels in his county.

The TD urged the Government to immediately introduce an emergency three-year prohition on rent hikes for existing and new tenancies. Dep Stanley made the call because he said that renters in Laois/Offaly need immediate support. He pointed to new data.

“The latest figures from the Residential Tenancy Board (RTB) show that the massive increase in rents in the two counties cannot be sustained by a lot of renters.

"The Government must also put a full month's rent back in every private renter's pocket and increase supply of affordable homes to rent and buy. Families, workers and young people deserve and need secure and affordable housing, and affordable rents," he said.

The new quarter 2023 Rent Index Report from RTB found that new Laois renters could expect to be asked €1,136 on average to rent a home by the end of June this year. That was up 11.4% in the quarter to the end of March and 8.3% higher than a year previously. The national average is €1,550 and is €1,178 outside the greater Dublin area.   

The TD said the RTB confirms common knowlege on rent rises.

"That there has been a shocking increase in rents across Laois/Offaly under the watch of this Government," he said.

“Fine Gael have been in Government for 12 years, and Fianna Fáil have been propping them up for seven years. But what these figures further underline is that neither party cares about renters.

"The housing crisis continues to go from bad to worse under their watch, rents are at an all-time high and rising, and the Government has missed the social and affordable housing targets three years in a row.

“They tell us they are making an impact on housing. Unfortunately, that impact is just putting affordable housing and affordable rents further out of reach for people.  Is it any wonder that so many of our young people who cannot afford this level of rent are emigrating?’’

He said TDs in Laois/Offaly they refused to support a Sinn Féin call to immediately introduce an emergency three-year ban on rent increases for existing and new tenancies. He said a full month's rent should be put back in every private renter's pocket and to increase supply of affordable properties to rent and buy.

“These are immediate steps that they can take, but only a change of Government, a change of housing policy and Sinn Féin as Housing Minister will allow us to start cleaning up the mess of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy,” he said.

Laois workers have the longest commute in Ireland as employment jumps

New Census results on work in Laois

Location main reason for council house refusals in Laois

Very small number of people turn down offers