Labour vows all-night debate to have meaningful debate on new rental rules
Labour vows all-night debate to have meaningful debate on new rental rules - The Labour Party
- Government guillotining laws that will raise rents
Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has made an emergency plea to Government to accept key Labour amendments to the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 ahead of this evening in Dáil Éireann, warning that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are rushing through sweeping new rental rules that will drive rents higher.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Government are attempting to rush these sweeping changes through the Oireachtas, threatening the use of the guillotine to force through a shoddy and dangerous piece of legislation tonight. The Labour Party will sit through the night if that is what it takes to force Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to engage seriously with what they are proposing and with the amendments we have put forward. It is shameful that Micheál Martin is treating the legislative process with such disdain at a time when renters are under extreme pressure.
“The bottom line is that renters trapped in Ireland’s dysfunctional housing market will pay the price for what Government is proposing. Everything this Government has touched on housing has created more stress, more insecurity and more uncertainty. Rents have increased by more than 100 percent over the past decade and almost 50 percent since Covid alone. Against that backdrop, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are about to push through measures that will drive prices even higher again.
“We need ambition for renters and for the future of renting in Ireland. Labour has tabled amendments that simplify the system for landlords and renters alike while delivering real, enforceable protections for tenants. Renters need a general no-fault eviction ban for the next three years. It is the single most effective tool available to stabilise the situation and stop people entering homelessness. Government acknowledges we are living through a housing emergency, so the most basic step is to stop people being evicted into homelessness.
“All renters should have the same rights regardless of who their landlord is. My amendments would remove the two-tier system of tenure and stop landlords from terminating tenancies to sell, renovate or move in family members. Landlords should be able to sell properties with tenants in situ. That is a basic protection that exists in many other countries and it brings a minimum level of security to renters.
“Rents are already far too high. Labour’s amendments would remove the proposed market rent reset, which will only push rents up further. We are proposing a rent brake mechanism so that if rental inflation exceeds 15 percent over a four-year period, further increases cannot occur. It is not a silver bullet, but when rents are already over 2,000 euro a month, it offers some certainty and protection.
“This must be backed up by a strong rent increase cap of 2 percent that applies to new apartments, which Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are refusing to do. We are also proposing a full review of these laws within two years, including a requirement for the Minister to produce a report forecasting the impact on rent levels over the next decade, because Government has done no impact assessment whatsoever.
“Too much has been overlooked in the rushed drafting of this bill. I have had to table amendments on basic issues like information sharing between Fáilte Ireland and the Residential Tenancies Board on short-term lets, safeguarding tenants if their landlord’s status changes, ensuring eviction notices are properly served, and protecting tenants from eviction where they face a real risk of homelessness. These are not radical demands, they are common sense protections.
“If the Government is serious about addressing the housing crisis, it is not too late to change tack. Ministers can still accept Labour’s amendments tonight and stop this bill from doing real damage. Renters need clarity, stability and security now, not knee-jerk policies designed to placate investors and developers. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil should step back from this reckless approach, engage with Labour’s proposals, and put the interests of renters and families first before lasting harm is done.”