Politics watch: Controversy over future of rent pressure zones
James Cox
Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.
Rent pressure zones
The Government has been criticised after Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated he would look alternatives to rent pressure zones (RPZs).
However, Mr Martin has said they will not be ended after backlash over his comments.
Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Mr Martin said: "We never used the phrase 'end' or 'abolition', by the way, or ‘scrap’ for that matter
"What we did say we would examine the Housing Commission report and the section on the rental market, which talks about examining an evidence-based approach to reforming the rental market.
"Particularly, it instanced a reference-pricing mechanism, but said that that must be informed by an evidence based approach and the degree to which there was a relationship between the rental market and supply."
After a Housing Commission report published in July showed that 42 per cent of landlords left the market in the 26 months leading to December 2023, Mr Martin said the Government must consider other options including private investment.
Opposition politicians have criticised the Taoiseach’s comments, and called for a ban on rent increases.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said that a three-year ban on rent increases and a full month’s rent returned to every private renter was needed.
He said institutional investors have in recent weeks lobbied to have RPZs “scrapped”, and if they were successful it would lead to “even more dramatic increases in rents”.
On Wednesday, there will be a housing motion in the Dáil.
First tests for new ministers
New Cabinet ministers will face the opposition in the Dáil.
Those to face parliamentary questions will include Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, along with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris.
Other motions on the Dáil schedule include one on Palestine and a protection of tenants' deposits Bill to be introduced.
Government urged to consider vacant homes and above-shop properties in housing push
The Government has been urged to support the renovation of vacant homes and shop properties to boost housing supply.
It comes as the focus on new builds dominated headlines this week.
Hardware Association Ireland has requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss a number of proposals, including support for the rejuvenation of empty properties.
Hardware Association Ireland chief executive Martin Markey told BreakingNews.ie that his group has projections that estimate there will be 36,500 new builds this year.
He added: "Going any further than that will be very difficult at the moment. There are so many constraints out there on the housing market."
Mr Markey said "regenerating empty homes has huge potential".
Go to any country town, any city, anywhere around the country. We have a huge vacancy level.
"That, bizarrely, gives us a huge opportunity in terms of the housing crisis. There were 167,000 empty homes in Ireland in the last Census.
"When we whittle that down to what is really doable, the condition of some of them is too bad, you come to a figure of 40,000 that could be done at a reasonable rate.
"By a reasonable rate, I mean the purchase price and renovation price would end up roughly the equivalent of a second-hand house in the area.
"With those 40,000, if we put in place the suite of incentives that are available including the vacant homes grants, €50,000 for a vacant home and another €20,000 for a derelict home, then you can weave that in with SEAI [Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland] grants, it's quite good."
Human trafficking a real issue in Ireland, MEP says
Human trafficking is a real issue in Ireland, and new EU legislation targeting it must be implemented quickly, according to an MEP who helped to draft the new laws.
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has called on Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan to prioritise the implementation of the new legislation.
Ms Walsh told BreakingNews.ie: "The UN's most recent report only further highlighted the issue. In speaking with an expert in the area of eradicating human trafficking, Kevin Hyland, who worked with the UK government and the Irish government, he predicted 250,000 people were being trafficked in Ireland every year."
In a 2023 interview with BreakingNews.ie, Mr Hyland said the Government needed to put more work into supporting human trafficking victims who come forward.
"When you talk to people it's 'that could never happen in my small town/village', but that couldn't be further from the truth," Ms Walsh said.
She said training is needed in several fields to spot potential signs that someone may be a victim of trafficking. Ms Walsh was involved in writing up the new EU Anti-Trafficking Directive.
Abroad
In the US, president Donald Trump continues to sign executive orders at a relentless pace.
Mr Trump has also insisted his plan to "clear out Gaza" is real.
He has said Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of the war-torn territory.
Mr Trump’s comments contradict other officials in his administration who have sought to argue he was only calling for the temporary relocation of Gaza’s population.
In the UK, two Labour MPs have been suspended over offensive messages in a WhatsApp group, which will be a headache for prime minister Keir Starmer.