Crowe calls for Government to come clean on upward only rent reviews

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has challenged the Government to come clean on their refusal to legislate to end upward only rent reviews.

Crowe was speaking after The Sunday Business Post newspaper revealed the extent of the lobby by landlords and property developers to have the Government retreat on its pre-election pledge and the Programme for Government’s promise to legislate to end upward only rent reviews.

Deputy Seán Crowe said: “The Government claims that their ability to introduce legislation was impossible because of the legalities involved yet they have failed to detail what exactly these legal obstacles are. Those directly affected by these upwardly only rents, retailers, business people and consumers deserve clarity on why the Government has failed to act.

“Other legal opinion suggests that legislation is indeed possible and Sinn Féin produced a Bill earlier this year that if implemented, would have, in our opinion, reduced upwardly only rents.

“It appears however, that this Government is more concerned with meeting the demands of landlords and developers than in helping the many retailers and small businesses that are going to the wall because of excessive rents that are a legacy of the so called Celtic Tiger era. High rents are driving up prices for consumers and costing jobs. Since June 2008, there has been a steady decline in retail sales and only last month a further 2648 sales workers were added to the Live Register. You only have to visit shopping centres to witness the real impact of these rents with shop units closed or boarded up with ‘To Let’ signs. FG and Labour need to come clean and explain why they have failed to honour their promise on upward only rents and reduce costs in the real economy.”