Independent TD Sean Canney has said that landlords are not the villains in the housing crisis, politicians were for failing to ensure a supply of houses.
Mr Canney, who is a member of the Rural Independents group, told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that tenants needed long term support not just short term measures and his group had come up with an eight point amendment to the Sinn Féin motion on the retention of the eviction ban.
When asked if the Rural Independents group would vote with the Government, Mr Canney said they had not yet seen the Government’s amendment.
Five of the Rural Independents group's eight amendments relate to the supply of housing and the supply of residences for people to rent, he said: “The very first one is in relation to nursing homes where people who are in long term care are afraid to rent out their houses because there would be tax reasons for that.
"There are hundreds, if not thousands of them houses in this country. The Government are talking about bringing in legislation to allow it to happen, but it hasn't happened.
“Landlords are not the people who are the villains in the piece here.
"Effectively, the villains in the piece are politicians who haven't actioned works in a way that we are providing a steady supply of houses for tenants and to allow more landlords come into the sector, we need to make sure that that's what's happening rather than having a really narrow focus on something that is doing a disservice to the tenants in this country who could be facing eviction."
Mr Canney said that the only way to protect renters was to increase supply. “And that has been the biggest problem. And the biggest failure of this Government is that they haven't been able to provide a supply of housing for people who want to rent. And that is why there is a problem.
“And the other reason that there is a problem is because of the inertia that is there in trying to provide private housing and the viability issues around that.
"One of our proposals is to ensure that if planning permissions, of which there are 70,000 in this country ready to go projects and the government need to engage with the owners of these sites and to bring them forward immediately as affordable houses, which will bring housing into the market, into the private sector, which will allow young couples buy their houses."
He said it will make sure that they are living in houses that they will own rather than rented accommodation.
