Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has said he will be asking the Minister for Housing and Minister for Justice to criminalise sex-for-rent arrangements in the coming weeks.
As reported in the Irish Examiner, Mr Ó Broin plans to ask Darragh O’Brien and Helen McEntee when the Dáil reconvenes.
This comes following an investigation in this week's Irish Examiner which detailed how accommodation is being offered at a reduced rate or rent-free in return for sex. The investigation found evidence of this happening in both Limerick and Dublin.
“As soon as the Dáil reconvenes, I will be raising this with the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Justice to ensure that both departments work quickly together to ensure this kind of thing is prosecutable. It is absolutely unacceptable,” Mr Ó Broin said.
“You could have people who have very acute housing needs and who are in very vulnerable positions being seriously exploited if this is allowed take root.”
Mr Ó Broin commented that platforms hosting these adverts should face fines with landlords who are offering such arrangements prosecuted.
One area which was found to have these adverts was Newcastlewest, Co Limerick. According to Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Collins who runs a business in the area, local people are shocked.
“It isn’t something you would expect anywhere, not to mind a rural county town,” he said. “I am absolutely shocked.”
CEO of Threshold John Mark McCafferty said such arrangements are an “indictment of society and the imbalance in terms of gender relations and the predatory behaviour of certain people.”
The issue is due to come before the Oireachtas committee on housing in January.
