Measures To Deal With Housing Crisis Already Having A Positive Impact On Landlords - Berry

Wednesday, 22 March 2023 11:51

By Caoimhe Harney

Under changes announced yesterday nursing home residents will be able to keep all rental income under Fair Deal reform

A Kildare South TD said Government measures announced yesterday are already having an impact.

Cathal Berry is one of the seven Regional Independents who set out eight key demands in return for their support in a motion of no confidence vote in the Government.

The demands also apply to the vote on Sinn Fein’s motion to extend the eviction ban on Wednesday.

Yesterday the Government announced measures to deal with the housing crisis in response to these demands, including more social housing, a wider tenant-in-situ scheme and tax changes for landlords.

The eight demands by the Regional Independents were :

Remove barriers to older people in long term nursing home care who wish to lease out their homes effective from May 1, 2023.

Increase the grant rates for the Croí Cónaithe refurbishment scheme to reflect current building costs, effective from May 1, 2023.

The Croí Cónaithe refurbishment scheme needs to be extended to include properties which are made available for rent and not just owner occupied, effective from May 1, 2023.

Revise the Croí Cónaithe scheme to include properties built prior to 2007, effective from May 1, 2023.

Extend the rent-a-room relief scheme to people receiving social welfare payments who rent out a room so that they do not lose supplementary benefits such as the medical card effective from May 1, 2023.

Introduce in Budget 2024 a tax relief scheme to take effect in the current tax year for small landlords.

Amend the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to guarantee payment to landlords where the tenant defaults on payment of contribution to HAP effective from May 1, 2023.

Immediately engage with site owners who have obtained planning under the Strategic Infrastructure Development and that have not yet commenced building due to viability issues to ensure immediate commencement of these projects under the affordable housing scheme.

Eviction Ban

The eviction ban for renters looks set to end on March 31st, as the government is on course to win a Dáil vote this afternoon on the issue.

The Sinn Fein motion, which wants to extend the ban, looks set to be defeated after the coalition reached agreement with TDs in the Regional Independent Group.

Independent Kildare South TD Cathal Berry says he's already hearing of changes having an impact, he said that many landlords now feel like they have control of their property now.

Independent TD Cathal Berry and Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan joined Eoin Beatty on Kildare Today, listen back to the debate here:

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