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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has moved to temper expectations around Rent Pressure Zones being abolished, stating that he was “surprised” by some headlines today.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels this afternoon, Martin said he will await the results of a review into how the rental market operates before making any decisions on the rent capping scheme.
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said the Government could look at developing an ‘alternative system’ to Rent Pressure Zones when they expire at the end of this year.
However, when asked about it today he stressed that no decisions have been made yet.
“I never used the phrase ‘end’, or ‘abolition’, for that matter,” he said today when asked about renters’ concerns that rents will spiral further if RPZs are removed.
“What we did say, we would examine the Housing Commission Report and the section on the rental market,” he said.
The Housing Commission Report completed last year by a group of experts included a number of recommendations to Government. Overall, the report found that a radical overhaul of housing policy was needed in Ireland.
Among its recommendations was for RPZ to be “reviewed” and a system of “reference rents” to be introduced.
Such a system would peg rent increases to a reference rent for local dwellings of similar quality.
“I mean, many people had said we hadn’t engaged enough with the Housing Commission Report,” Martin said today, adding that a review of RPZs was a key part of the recommendations.
“I think it is important to examine what was recommended,” he said.
“We do need to bring more private sector investment into house building.”
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) February 10, 2025
The Taoiseach has moved to roll back expectations around Rent Pressure Zones being abolished, saying he was surprised by some of today’s headlines.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/TM6rCyy5Od
The Taoiseach noted that the report recommended “an evidence-based approach to reforming the rental market” and said that examination will now be carried out by this Government.
“I’m not going to preempt any outcome of it. But we do need to bring more private sector investment into house building. We will protect renters. We brought in the Rent [Tax] Credit specifically to do that, and the rent pressure zones have been effective in quite a number of areas,” he said.
“And what really is the key issue for investment is a stable environment, it doesn’t keep chopping and changing from year to year. So that people investing in the construction industry in Ireland, or indeed in the rental market, can do so with some degree of certainty.”
In Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ) rent increases are capped at 2% per year.
Rent Pressure Zones were first introduced in Dublin and Cork in 2016 for a period of three years, but RPZs have since been expanded across the country.
They were to remain in place until 31 December 2024 but last May, the Government agreed to extend them until 31 December 2025.
The Taoiseach told RTÉ on Sunday that he wanted to develop an alternative system “which protects renters but also enables people to have a clear stable environment in which to invest”.
”The Government is spending huge amounts of money in housing, record levels of spending. The State can’t do it all on its own, and we have to be honest about that. I believe it will entail politically very difficult decisions,” he said yesterday.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said today that scrapping RPZ regulations would result in “even more dramatic increases in rents than we have seen in recent years”.
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A house is no longer a home, it’s an investment asset.
@Krae ol: Food on the shelves of shops, buses, are are part of public supply just like rented housing would you make them illegal maybe
@Krae ol: It’s both. Always been.
@Krae ol: so if a house is not a home are we going to build investment assets for people?
Out of his depth out of his league. As G Mac says ” He’ll do nothing.”
@Shimo F: Yet another review probably followed by yet another report on the review followed by little or no action yet again. Total spoofer.
After the Housing Commission report essentially panned his approach to housing, Martin now decides it’s politically convenient to cherry-pick one element from it
The taoiseach is full of Walter kronkite
@Garreth Byrne: All the TDs looking to up their rent take from the investment properties. Somewhere north of 35% of TDs are landlords, conflict of interest, or what ?
@Brian Keelty: will your maths is wrong, so anyting else you say on the matter is equally devalued. 29 out of the 160 TD’s are landlords. That’s 18%. That makes you out by 100%. Are you this wrong on everything else as well ?
@John Moylan: genuine question John since you have numbers there, of that 18%, how many are government tds?
@Brian Keelty: with Gerry Adams one of the biggest landlords!
@John Moylan: 18% too many.
@James Reardon: All of this information is in the public domain. Why do these figures frustrate, annoy or maybe anger you so much but you haven’t sought out the actual information for yourself?
@Brian Keelty: So rent can never be discussed by TDs? Naive.
@John Moylan: How many of those TDs have wives with houses registered in their names?
@John Moylan: there are 174 TDs ,old information you are using
Housing is a basic need and should not be used as a commodity. This doesnt mean you cant own 2.3 properties. But if you buy hundreds apartments only for profit. Its not the same as a selling a gold… people can live without gold or diamonds….
@Jan Williams: Everything is a commodity. It’s capitalism doing what it’s meant doing.
@Jan Williams: if you contribute to a pension you are a long term investor trying to generate a profit – this profit will fund your own retirement. One day we will start encouraging such investments in new apartment blocks again. Until then the rental crisis will continue.
@Jan Williams: if you contribute to a pension you are a long term investor trying to generate a profit – this profit will fund your retirement. One day we will start encouraging such investments in new apartment blocks again. Until then the rental crisis will continue.
Gaslighting of the highest order, literally 100s camping out over night for a chance to buy a few houses which where gone in mins. He is now calling in the vulture funds and other direct investment funds both foreign and domestic to bulk buy, with the goal of renting… Plasters on gaping wounds etc etc…
He seems “Surprised “ by a lot of things coming from the public and media. Totally tone deaf and out of touch. Not a reliable representative of the electorate, in my opinion.
A most untrustworthy individual!
Always the same with that pri ck. Set up committee,wait for committee recommendations then do the exact opposite. MM and his ilk allowed vulture funds to buy up whole housing blocks while paying no tax. He is a two-faced slug of the highest order.
@Gerry Lamont: any housing funded by investment funds are EXTRA housing. Your theory is wrong. If one farmer grows a crop funded by borrowing the crops in the adjoining farms won’t disappear. You are confused by the ideology of the illogical left
@thomas molloy: We have a finite amount of serviced land, builders & tradesmen. Investment funds are largely buying properties that would otherwise have been available to private buyers for purchase.
Don’t forget that in a €400k new build, the state takes around €50k in vat, fees etc – not counting local development levies.
The system is utterly broken at this stage and another example of the ponzi scheme government that we have.
He realised it would affect all his properties he rents out.
This man really and truly is the worst thing to ever happened to this country…A truly self serving treacherous and odious individual..Roll on the day when we are finally shut of him…
How’d that kite flying go there, Mike? Not so good…
There in again for 5 years , all the FFG voters must be cringing , what did I do !
The Micky will be remembered as the most traitorous and spineless Tee shock this country has ever had. He has not a shred of empathy nor sympathy for the Irish natives.
The judge in the case of the policeman jailed for 6 years today said that the public must have trust in our police force, quite correct, and I certainly do. However, when it comes to the wigs, I have close to zero confidence in their pompous, out of touch, removed from the reality “sentences”. An expensive, useless luxury.
We were told that importing people helps the economy. Just importing a few million and then our economy will be booming! What are you waiting for Martin? We need that money now so we can build houses. Just keep bringing them in like a conveyor belt. It is a net positive on our economy we were told remember? So if we can bring a figure, not too high, let’s say 10 million immigrants by 2030, we will surely have enough money to build the 40,000 homes a year that your government promised.
@Housing Hunger Games: Clearly not. FFG are pro mass immigration which is exactly what I said in my comment. Did you miss the part where I said we need million of immigrants to help our economy? Can you read? I voted for FG.
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: it’s funny how the Irish almost exclusively emigrate to only Anglo founded nations like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. I didn’t see many Irish emigrate to Pakistan or India or Somalia. It’s almost as if Brits and Irish are the closely related in culture, beliefs and ideals. I looked up the statistics, FFG are pro mass immigration. It’s great because we need 15 million refugees by 2032 to support our economy.
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: Really? You would rather live amongst Africans and East Asians than Brits? So if you ever immigrate, you would never go to Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the USA? Where would you go? Afghanistan?
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: this isn’t the 19th century. Your a victim of Sinn Fein propaganda. “Brits bad but Islamic extremists good!”
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: they were invaders and occupiers, all them are dead now. The fact you’re still clinging to the past and calling innocent people who had nothing to do with it invaders is embarrassing. Are all Jews in America slave owners now? Because they owned them 200 years ago? No. So tell me how all the Brits here are invaders and occupiers when they had nothing to do with what the Crown and British government did to Ireland a century ago? Do you believe in collective punishment or something? Then the usual “racist” remark peddled by the left. They will turn against their own and towards foreigners who have polar opposite culture and values, just so they can see their dream of communism coke to fruition. You’re an embarrassment to yourself and your entire bloodline.
If Trump decides to endure the bowl of shamrock ceremony, I hope that he speaks in support of Enoch Burke. Martin would shit in his trousers.
@Declan Young: Speaking of which, I’d say you’re due a nappy change there yourself Declan. You and Dump have much in common..
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: yes
@Brian: is that the best you can do? give your mammy back the phone and finish your homework.
@Brian: Again with the babies, nappies and poo. What is with you guys?
@Declan Young: Any more comebacks that aren’t as stale as your nappy Declan ?
@Declan Young: Enoch Burke is right
@Chop Chop: tut tut… Where did I mention Babies. I’m not the one who brought up shiting ones pants.. I thought that was Donnie Dumps department? You’d do well to read a thread before sticking your oar in.. You Dump fans are sensitive little flowers all the same.. bless.
@Declan Young: Even Trump is less narrow minded than you are.
@Róisín Flemping Bunt-Himmler: religious and acting on his beliefs what’s wrong with that.
We take Fianna Fail corruption and lies, and we still vote for them, pathetic
@Barry Spoon: Says a supporter of them ha ha. I’d like to know, vased on evidence how Sinn Féin would do worse in government than the two in government since the start of this state as only two have been permanently, Sinn Féin have never been in power in the Republic, you made the claim with nothing to back it up, then again, that’s what trolls do, isn’t it.
@Brian D’Arcy: but you are comfortable with Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein coalition?
Socialism is a very hard drug to come clean from. I never expected a progressive like Martin to actually follow through on the first free-market policy suggestion to come out of this government for over 10 years. I suspect what will happen is that this review will happen and it will recommend that rent control not be repealed “for the present time” and then the government says that they will look at doing another review again in the future and nothing will ever actually happen. Landlords will continue to be driven out of this country with the 2% rent cap because they can’t make any money and the housing/rental crisis will continue to be perpetuated because building companies still aren’t going to have any profit incentive to build more apartments and homes. It’s rinse and repeat for them.
@William Jennings: So landlords will stop buying up stock? And that’s a negative how?
@William Jennings: Oh, and tge amount of landlords has actually gone up, not down. Rents have increased beyond 2%, as you know yourself.
@William Jennings: You have to remember that the vast number of people in this country think that the government alone(ie the taxpayers)should be the ones who build and hand over houses where people want them for the price that people think they should be….and anyone that thinks thats the way it should be would want to realise that everyone in the country will want one of them and join the housing list and no one in their right mind will buy a house again.80k approx people turn 18 in this country every year….that online would be impossible.
@John Paul: exactly. And worse, if you’re in the position to build one for yourself they’ll put every planning obstacle in your way to stop you. It’s almost as if they want you to give up and to join the queues.
@Brian D’Arcy: Do you understand basic economics or are you really that stupid? If landlords stop buying up property, it creates a massive supply problem, which is exactly what we’re seeing in Ireland right now. The core issue with rent control is that it discourages investment in rental housing, leading to fewer available homes and higher prices over time. If landlords stop buying property, fewer homes are available for rent. This reduces supply in the rental market. Less supply + same or increasing demand = housing shortage for those who want to rent. The quality of rental options will severely decline if we play out your fantasy that landlords fleeing the market and buying less properties is a good thing. It will also massively worsen the housing crisis and lead to skyrocketing costs.
@Brian D’Arcy: Every country that has tried large-scale government-controlled rental housing has seen it fail spectacularly. Look at failed social housing projects in the UK, the US and the Soviet Union. Ireland’s own social housing crisis proves the government is already failing at managing public housing. The state owns tens of thousands of units, yet many are vacant, poorly maintained or in disrepair. The idea that the same government that can’t fix its existing properties will magically become Ireland’s top landlord is laughable. If the government starts buying up properties, private investors will stop building new housing because they can’t compete with a government that doesn’t need to turn a profit. No new homes = an even larger supply shortage of available rental properties.
@Brian D’Arcy: The claim that rents have gone higher than 2% is both incorrect at face value but also exposes the illusion that rent control could ever work in the first place. The reason that costs are still extremely high is because of both the law of supply and demand plus all of the regulations within the housing market. High property taxes, environmental directives, eviction bans and endless compliance rules means that landlords are forced to pass on the costs to renters in other ways. Things like Increasing move-in fees, reducing maintenance/services and higher security deposits and are all common methods to stop landlords from going in the red. The renter still pays more, they just don’t see it in the listed price. Rent control doesn’t work and cheats renters and landlords alike.
@Brian D’Arcy: your love for Fianna Fail is cute
@John Paul: That’s simply isn’t true for the circles I move in. Most people want to work and buy their own home at an affordable price.
The people you talk about get the most airtime because of the 540 housing bodies, left wing media and left-wing politicians speaking out for them.
Nobody speaks for private buyers. They are heavily taxed while they try to save, get no tax relief on mortgage interest and have to complete against state bodies, government quangos and investors for a meagre supply of bad S/H houses. Then pay the state thousands more in stamp duty, fees and vat on conveyance fees.
@William Jennings: Social housing apartments near St James St are costing over €500k. Private rent has soared to above mortgage repayment costs. Wages have been nearly static for many for 15 years.
Just how much do apartments and rent have to increase to.
The clown who destroyed pubs
A schoolteacher from Cork…this guy could give turds a masterclass in how to float to the top of the cesspit.
It would kill him if Trump decided not to meet with him on Paddy’s Day.
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