TAOISEACH MICHÉAL MARTIN was on the defensive today in the Dáil as his Government’s incoming reforms to the rental market came in for sharp criticism from the opposition. 

“You couldn’t care less about whether we provide more houses for the young people in this country,” he shot back at Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald after she accused him of being on the side of large landlords rather than renters. 

“You’re full of sound bites,” the Taoiseach claimed, to protest from the Sinn Féin benches.

The exchange between the Taoiseach and the Sinn Féin leader prompted Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to appeal for a “respectful” debate “with a mindfulness for our [visitors'] gallery being full”. 

McDonald claimed that Fianna Fáil has let renters be “ripped off” for “over a decade now” as she urged him to scrap the rental reforms that will come into force next month.

• Explainer: In a few weeks, new rent rules will kick in – here’s how it might impact you

The Sinn Féin leader and Dublin Central TD argued that allowing rent for new tenancies to reset to “market rate” will drive rents even higher.

“It will mean more young people forced to choose between emigrating or moving home with their parents, and shamefully, more families and children pushed into homelessness,” McDonald said.

McDonald in the Dáil today.

In response, the Taoiseach said that the six-year tenancies that are being introduced under the reforms will give tenants greater security. 

Under the reforms, landlords will only be able to reset rents every six years, but they can do it sooner than this if a tenant leaves voluntarily. 

McDonald pointed to this and said that because average tenancies are less than six years, landlords will still have significant freedom to increase rents. 

“You see, 25% of tenancies in any given year are new tenancies, because people move in and move on all the time. And Taoiseach, most tenancies here last three and a half years, not six.

“So the majority of renters will be hit quickly and hit again and again. In truth, very few renters will escape these hikes,” McDonald said.

Similarly, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns also criticised the incoming rental reforms, again prompting anger from the Taoiseach, who told her: “You just hate the private sector. Social Democrats hate the private sector! You don’t believe it has any role in housing.”

Holly Cairns during Leaders' Questions today.

In response, Carins pointed out that 17,000 people, including 5,000 children, are currently homeless in the State and said: 

“Every day you stand up and defend your approach and somehow try to blame the Social Democrats is another day you lose even more credibility.

“All I can say is, I hope in the lead up to the next election, people judge you, not on your empty promises in those few weeks, but on your actions now.

“In the depths of a housing crisis, you’re introducing legislation that allow landlords to jack up rents to so-called ‘market rate’ in between tenancies, which will result in more children being evicted into homelessness.”