Waterford TD accused of ‘scaremongering’ on national television amid fiery debate

A Waterford TD has been accused of “scaremongering” amid a fiery debate on national television.

Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane was speaking on RTÉ’s ‘The Week in Politics’ programme on Sunday afternoon.

He appeared alongside Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke and Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney.

When it came to a discussion on the Residential Tenancies Bill, Deputy Cullinane raised the case of a number of families in Waterford.

He stated: “I met eight families last week in Waterford who have notices to quit and they were heartbroken because they are all trying to find alternative accommodation in the private rental sector.

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“They have nowhere to go. The houses are simply not there to rent. If they find a house, the rents are now going to go up because the market reset rules will apply from today onwards.

“There is no social house, there is no affordable house, the schemes that were put in place by the government, most of the funding has been cut - the tenant in-situ scheme, for example.”

The Waterford TD went on to outline the difficulties he has had in trying to support these families.

“I don’t know what to say to these families, I don’t know what the minister says to these families who literally have nowhere to go.

“There was one family I was dealing with where the mother has had to move in with her parents, the father has moved in with his parents, the children are with the mother.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that’s what we are faced with. I don’t know anymore what to say to these families, who come to my office absolutely heartbroken.

“You have to point at the Government and say where are the social houses, where are the affordable houses and why are you bringing in a rent bill that’s going to increase the price of rents, at a time when those families are absolutely climbing the walls because they can’t find a roof over their family’s heads.”

In response to Deputy Cullinane, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said he did know what to say to such families, which he meets regularly.

Minister Burke said: “I do know what to say to people, to the vulnerable families which I meet every single week at our clinics.

“First of all, there is no cut to the tenant in-situ scheme. We have a situation whereby local authorities did not spend all their money last year.

“What we’re saying to them this year is that providing you reach the ceiling that you reached last year, we’ll give you extra money if you need it.”

Addressing Deputy Cullinane, he added: “So there is no cut, don’t be scaremongering.”

However, the Sinn Féin TD argued that there has been a cut, saying: “There is a cut. I spoke to the housing officer in Waterford, they told me it’s being cut by them 500 per cent.”

Minister Burke replied that the council received the same amount that it had spent under the scheme last year.

The pair were speaking amid a wider discussion on the Residential Tenancies Bill, which came into effect on March 1.

The Government says the bill provides greater security for renters and will boost supply, while the Opposition has said it will increase rent costs.

The bill introduced new regulations surrounding Rent Pressure Zones, rental caps and minimum tenancies.