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LABOUR HAS THIS evening admitted that the package of measures to address the housing crisis is unlikely to include the form of rent certainty first proposed by Alan Kelly.
A spokesperson for the Tánaiste Joan Burton said this evening that the proposal to link rent increases with the level of inflation for a three-year period is “unlikely to materialise”.
The confirmation will come as a huge blow to the Environment Minister who has championed the proposal since he announced it at the Labour conference in February.
Earlier today in the Dáil, Kelly was compared to controversial Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for referring to himself in the third person at a recent press event.
During Leaders’ Questions, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said of Kelly:
Worryingly in response – the Jose Mourinho-type response – he goes into the third person and he attacks the ‘cowards’, the ‘anonymous cowards’, that are leaking against him.
Kelly’s rent certainty plan would have involved index-linking rents which means they would only increase in line with the annual increases in household items – known as the consumer price index.
The Labour deputy leader had wanted to bring in the measure for a period of three years as a temporary solution to soaring rental prices, particularly in Dublin, as more houses were built.
Speaking at the Labour conference in February, Kelly said:
What we’re looking at is a process whereby people can have some certainty as regards rent into the future while [housing] supply is being dealt with.
Sources close to the minister later briefed that the plans would involve landlords not being able to increase rent beyond the rise in the consumer price index.
Increases would only be allowed in circumstances where improvements had been carried out on the property.
However Kelly’s proposal met with fierce opposition from Fine Gael and in particular Finance Minister Micheal Noonan. The concerns of the senior coalition partner centred on the potentially negative impact of undue government interference in the housing market.
Yesterday, Noonan and Kelly held what were later described as “constructive and detailed” discussions on measures to tackle the housing crisis.
Measures will include requiring landlords to give 90 days notice of any rental increase, as opposed to the current 30 days. There would also be longer eviction notices and a requirement on landlords to provide justification for rent increases.
The Private Residential Tenancies Board is also set to be given enhanced powers to deal with tenant/landlord disputes.
The government is set to finalise proposals in the coming days before an announcement next week. However the matter was not raised at cabinet today.
On the rent certainty proposal, a senior government source said this evening:
That’s unlikely to happen at this stage… There will be other measures and we’re absolutely sure that the package will address both supply and rental issues.
A spokesperson for the Tánaiste insisted this evening that any measures that are announced would be a priority for the government to implement before the election next year.
“Alan Kelly has been very, very clear on this for a long time. The scale of the issue means it has to be addressed as an emergency,” they insisted.
A spokesperson for Kelly said this evening that all measures remain under discussion and that the final package would have to be “commensurate to the size of the problem”.
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I look forward to the episode of Top Gear where a half cut Stig ferries punters at record pace to and from the Healy Raes pub in Kilgarvan.
I thought the Stig was Schumacher?
Catch up, Boo!
The Healy-raes won’t be happy that Brendan Griffin is stealing their limelight ….
Politicians getting priorities right once again
Promoting tourism, what’s wrong with that. If it brought just 1000 more visitors to our shore then it’s worth it. Better pushing this than a pot hole repair outside mrs Murphys house that only 2 cars drive on.
What tourists? World knows Kerry is beautiful and no amount of gas guzzling clarkson supporters will make it any better
So you’re saying a politician promoting an amazing driving route with the help of the world’s biggest motoring show is a bad thing??
I’m saying there are bigger issues this TD is not covering, and top gear support racism so not exactly encouraging for the TD
Each politician has different roles and responsiblities. By promoting the Wild Atlantic Way, especially to a vast world wide audience through Top Gear, Griffin is potentially increasing tourism and thus revenue to these areas, hopefully creating a few more jobs along the way. That is not my definition of a bad thing. On your racism comment, Clarkson mummbled the N word in a line of a song during a bloody out take. He neither directed it at anyone, nor wrote the lyrics himself. He also immediately made a groveling apology when this little whisper was heard. To say the entire BBC support racism because of an overreaction in a world gone mad with political correctness is just foolish.
Also Brendan Griffin deals with every issue the people of Kerry bring to him, no matter how small! The man has great time for everyone and has good ideas at national level to boot! An honest, hard working politician. A very rare breed!
Brilliant idea! If they did happen to come across puck fair they would think we’re mental!
All are welcome to visit the Kingdom of Kerry.
Thanks
You would never make it Kevin, they’ve no pringles down there.
Kevin Higgins you talk a lot of crap. Find out your facts before you start spouting!
Looking forward to seeing it. A beautiful part of our beautiful country.
Golden opportunity to highlight our country, never mind the whining from the ecoloons most of us drive and Jeremy Clarkson would bring more tourists here than O’bama.
Maybe if RTE & the government of the day supported Irish motorsport there would be no need to ask (pay) a British production company to promote Irish roads. The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship gets zero coverage in the media, as does the Circuit of Ireland Rally or events at Mondello Park, yet all of these events are well attended and have the potential to be much bigger both at home and abroad.
I watch Top Gear and they do a good job at promoting most of the countries they visit, Mexico being the obvious exception. But if there is money changing hands for this to happen I feel it could be better spent elsewhere, where it is actually needed and where the long term benefits outlast a few stylish aerial shots of a bunch of multi millionaires in foreign sports cars rippin’ up the Ring Of Kerry.
Top gear in Kerry , they should have them over for the puck fair
You young people won’t remember, but Top Gear was once an informative half-hour magazine programme about cars and motoring.
and you might remember Neal – that show got axed
Ha true, with Quentin Wilson and some fella with a beard whose name I can’t remember.
Chris Goffey I think. And a fine beard it was too!
Speaking of beards, Noel Edmunds presented Old Top Gear back in the day too.
hmmm , it will like the episode they filmed in Albania ,somehow everyone will look like an overweight toothless hillbilly, staring in amazement as the brits abroad dazzle them in their bling.
What do you call a kerryman sitting on top of a bag of potatoes?
Top of the pops.
Some say his driving skills are the result of reverse-engineered alien biotechnology….
Some say stig honed his skills on the starship enterprise and it was him not Scotty who said the engines will blow sir .
Why would you invite that arrogant buffon Clarkson anywhere.
Maybe the TD is cool with racists
Denise, are you ever happy? Even on a good news story you manage to have a sad comment. Can’t be healthy for you
I think Clarksons racist comments were sad, shows his fear of other races , or hate were really unsure as he refuses to comment on it . I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks
So does that mean the black people fear their own race as they constantly refer to themselves by that word?
Wow
Wow.
Because Denise
Millions and millions watch Top Gear – are you that stupid?
Jesus Aaron. Your not supposed to use that word “b***k”
Didn’t know they replaced The Stig after Ben Collins left.
Stig has do challenge after a few pints at heely rays pub
have your say