Richard Boyd Barrett urges protest over Residential Tenancies Bill

Richard Boyd Barrett called for a short-notice protest tomorrow at 5.30pm outside the Dáil, urging people to demonstrate against the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and the Government's handling of rent affordability and the housing crisis. He said the Government was ramming the bill through with a guillotine that would prevent proper scrutiny and warned the measure would be far-reaching and detrimental, jacking up rents and facilitating landlords.

Short-notice protest called

Richard Boyd Barrett said a protest has been organised for tomorrow at 5.30pm outside the Dáil and urged people who are angry about the Government's failure to address affordability in rents and the housing crisis to attend and demonstrate.

Criticism of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill

He criticised the decision to ram the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill through with a guillotine, saying there would not be proper scrutiny. He stated that most of the public do not understand how far-reaching and detrimental the bill would be and claimed it would jack up rents and facilitate landlords driving rents higher.

Dáil business and legislative timetable

He set out the immediate Dáil schedule: the International Protections Bill will be debated this afternoon for several hours; statements on Operation Canova are scheduled for tomorrow; and the Residential Tenancies Bill is expected before the House tomorrow for five hours. The International Protections Bill will return to the House on Thursday.

Committee meeting and procedural position

He noted that different statements can be discussed at the weekly Committee meeting on Thursday. He concluded by saying the Order of Business stands and that he will not be accepting Motion 35.5.