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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Apr 1943

Vol. 89 No. 16

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - House Rents.

asked the Minister for Justice if he will have an Order issued, under the Emergency Powers Act, preventing increases in rent on houses which do not come under the Rent Restriction Act; and, further, whether under such Order he will make illegal notices to quit where the rent has been paid in full, and the person is being evicted with a view to increasing the rent.

asked the Minister for Justice if he will introduce proposals for legislation to amend the Rent Restriction Act, with a view to bringing within its scope houses built since 1918, as a practice is growing whereby landlords, under one pretext or another, are getting old tenants to relinquish occupancy of uncontrolled houses and re-letting at increased rentals.

As Questions Nos. 21 and 22 are essentially similar in purport, I propose to deal with them together. I have not received any evidence of a tendency on the part of landlords to exact increased rents during the emergency or to eject tenants as a preliminary to attempts to obtain higher rents. I can only conclude from this that there is, in fact, no such widespread practice as might be inferred from the Deputies' questions. In those circumstances I would not feel justified in taking action at present on the lines suggested. If, however, satisfactory evidence is forthcoming at any time of attempts on any general scale by landlords to take advantage of emergency conditions to exact increased rents from their tenants, I shall consider recommending to the Government that the matter should be dealt with by means of an Emergency Powers Order or, if necessary, by special legislation.

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