O’Sullivan raises Limerick’s exclusion from rent pressure zones on the first day of Dáil, 2019

Limerick Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan today questioned the Minister for Housing on why he continues to stand over the exclusion of Limerick City from Rent Pressure Zones when it has the highest private rent increases in the country.

Deputy O’Sullivan said: 

“The Minister continues to stand over his formula that is keeping Limerick renters under enormous pressure as there is no restriction on private landlords hiking up rents.  If we were in the Rent Pressure Zones that would be limited to 4% per year. Daft.ie figures put Limerick annual increases at over 20%.  This is contributing directly to the growing number of families becoming homeless in our City because they cannot pay their rent.

“Today I called on Minister Murphy to take action now as the homelessness crisis grows. 

“As the delivery of social and affordable housing is painfully slow, people have no choice but to rent privately.  In Dublin, Cork and Galway they are protected from large rent hikes.  In Limerick they are not.  That is not fair and the Government has to fix it.”