Rent Move- Too Little Too Late

Gillian Brien, People Before Profit candidate for the Dublin constituency for the European elections has slammed Eoghan Murphy’s proposals on tenants’ rights.

“It is closing the door after the horse has bolted. Rents in Dublin have reached their highest peak and property prices are now slowing down.

“By introducing new proposals at the height of the property cycle, the Housing Minister is effectively admitting that he has failed in previous years. No wonder – because Dublin now has some of the highest rents in Europe.

“Even now there are still no proposals to ensure that when a landlord sells a property – the positions of the tenants must be secured.

“There is no move to put a right to housing into the Irish constitution.

“I favor a move that is under way in Berlin to limit the number of properties that any one person or company can own. Fine Gael has helped sell off vast amounts of Irish property to foreign vulture funds and this has pushed up rents.

“I have volunteered in the direct action housing group ‘Take Back The City’ and I am part of ‘Raise The Roof Homeless/Housing coalition. 

“I have been at the frontline fighting developers, slum landlords and vulture funds, gentrification for three years now.  What’s happening in Berlin, spreads hope across Europe. 

“As more and more Europeans see ‘Housing as a Human Right’, Berlin wants to nationalize large concentrations of private rented properties.

“We also need to take them away from greedy landlords and developers. This would be a victory for human and housing rights.”