SIMON HARRIS AND Pearse Doherty clashed in the Dáil this afternoon during a heated debate on rising rents.

Harris dubbed Doherty “angry Pearse” and remarked that Sinn Féin are “hypocrites” and the “only party receiving very significant financial funding from builders and construction companies”.

Doherty began Leader’s Questions by pointing to the latest figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

“The figures confirm what renters already know,” said Doherty, “that rents are out of control and your policies are responsible.”

The highest standardised average rent in new tenancies for Q2 2025 was in Dublin at €2,230.

However, there was a year-on-year rise of 16.4% in the average rent for new tenancies in Co Leitrim, followed by a 14.9% rise in Carlow and a 13.7% increase in Longford.

Doherty said he spoke to a couple in their mid-20s last week who have been “left with no other option but to move back into their childhood bedroom”.

“The plan was simple: save hard, buy their own home, and one day start a family here in Ireland,” said Doherty of this couple.

“But they couldn’t take the rent increases anymore, and they knew there was more coming.

“Their plan now is to save money to book flights and head to Australia.”

Doherty added: “Young people can’t take this pressure any longer. You’re pricing them out of homes, out of family life and out of their own future.”

He also accused the government of choosing “landlords and developers over renters” and called for rents to be cut and frozen for three years.

Harris however noted that 62% of properties saw no change in rent compared to the previous year, up by around 5%.

The RTB report also noted that properties outside of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) were more likely to see significant rent hikes.

Harris said Sinn Féin’s stance on RPZs is unclear and remarked that Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin “wants to get rid of them” while leader Mary Lou McDonald said “scrapping RPZs would remove the only modest protection”.

“Your position when it comes to RPZs is Jekyll and Hyde stuff,” added Harris.

Doherty then accused Harris of “trying to deny reality” and again pointed to the young couple who are “back in the box room of their family home”.

“Our position is very clear,” said Doherty. “Ban rent increases, stop filling the pockets of landlords.”

Doherty also accused Harris of breaking a “solemn promise” to increase the Rent Tax Credit and added:

“You broke that promise, like so many others, because what Simon says on one hand, Simon does on the other hand.

“The election is over, and Simon doesn’t care. You have prioritised landlords, developers, and you have left renters abandoned.”

Harris then accused Sinn Féin of “demonising small landlords” and added: “The people of Ireland don’t trust you when it comes to the economy.

“They know that the angry Jack in the Box routine doesn’t build homes.”

Harris went on to label Doherty “Angry Pearse” and added: “There’s only one party that is receiving very significant financial funding from builders and construction companies.”

He pointed to the latest US filings for Friends of Sinn Féin which showed the US fundraising organisation raised €366,000 in donations.

Amid shouts across the Dáil chamber, Harris said: “The bulk came from construction companies and builders.

“The biggest donation came from one construction company in America that gave you $20,000.

“You tell the young people of Ireland you’re on the side of the working people and Mary Lou flies out to America to take the dollars from the big businesses, big builders.

“You are the party of taking big money from big American building companies, you are a hypocrite.”

This €20,000 donation came from Eurotech Construction, a New York-based company which was co- founded by Co Tyrone native Fay Devlin.

Doherty and Harris shouted across the Dáil chamber and the Leas-Ceann Comhairle John McGuinness remarked: “When the two of you are ready, we will continue”.