Latest news with #ResidentialTenancies(Amendment)Bill2025
The Journal
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Emergency legislation to extend RPZs nationwide to be published
THE GOVERNMENT PLANS to publish emergency legislation today to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the entire country. Last week, the Tánaiste confirmed that the legislation would be fast-tracked, indicating that legislation around the bigger reforms, which will be introduced after 1 March, will be advanced at a later stage. Housing Minister James Browne will seek to introduce and publish the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 as emergency legislation today, with Cabinet agreeing last week it would be progressed as a priority. This will extend the RPZs to all areas of the country until Feb 2026, ahead of the new rent controls coming in from 1 March. Moving on extending RPZs as a matter of urgency is being done to prevent landlords from increasing rents in areas that are currently not protected in the interim period. Under the current system, over 80% of the country is already in an RPZ and subject to a 2% cap on rent increases or an increase in line with the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year Separately, Tánaiste Simon Harris will outline the significant preparations underway for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. Advertisement This will be the eighth time Ireland has hosted the Presidency of the European Council and the first occasion to do so since 2013. During the presidency term there will be 23 informal ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin. There will also be a summit of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin. The EPC summit will be the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 States as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations. The Tánaiste will tell colleagues today that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half 2026 is essential for Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU. Aside from ministerial meetings, there will also be a range of conferences and other large-scale events which may be held in locations outside Dublin to help ensure an appropriate regional distribution of Presidency events. The Tánaiste will tell ministers it is essential to have strong relationships established with key figures in the European Parliament in advance of the Presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries. Back-to-School Clothing expansion Two other memos will be brought by Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. Calleary will seek approval to extend access to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to children being cared for by foster families in receipt of the Foster Care Allowance. Related Reads New rental regulations will allow landlords increase rents if previous tenant leaves voluntarily Explainer: Why does the Government want to overhaul Rent Pressure Zones? The once-off payment helps eligible families with the cost of uniforms, clothes and footwear when children start school each autumn. This could help around 2,300 children in 2025. It is payable in respect of children between the ages of 4 and 17 and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education. Donohoe will seek approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to a property adapted for use by disabled persons. This will provide for a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property which has been adapted for use by a disabled person, subject to certain criteria being met. This is an increase from €50,000 in the 2012 Act and will allow owners of properties which have been adapted for use by disabled persons to self-assess the value of the properties at 1 November 2025 at one valuation band lower for the purposes of calculating their LPT charge. The Taoiseach, alongside Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025 tomorrow, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026. Yesterday, at the National Economic Dialogue event in Dublin Castle , it was indicated by a number of government ministers that a VAT reduction for the hospitality sector is a key priority for the upcoming Budget. While the performance in the well-being report is being described ai]s positive overall, the analysis identifies areas where work is needed, such as unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates faring less well than other groups in society. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Housing Minister to bring emergency legislation to Cabinet to extend RPZs
Emergency legislation to extend Rent Pressure Zones nationwide will be brought to Cabinet this Tuesday morning by Housing Minister James Browne. It follows criticism from the opposition that the plans to extend the Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) nationwide were not brought to Cabinet last week as part of the Government's plans to change the rental system. It is understood that Minister Browne will see the publication of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 as 'emergency legislation' that can be 'progressed as a priority.' This will extend the RPZs to all areas of the country until February 2026, ahead of the new rent controls coming in from March 1. This will protect approximately 17% of tenancies nationally that are currently outside RPZ, sources said last night. Currently, those outside RPZs are not protected by a restriction on rent increases, other than not charging above market rent. Sources stressed that almost 200,0000 current tenancies will 'not be impacted whatsoever' by the measures proposed by Government. They will see their current 2% rent pressure zone cap remain, and will not have their rents reset every six years. The Irish Mirror understands that the legislation will be placed on the Dáil schedule 'almost immediately' once it is approved by Cabinet. It is also understood the 'role and remit' of the country's Land Development Agency (LDA) will be expanded by a decision at Cabinet brought by Minister Browne. Government is set to agree to enable the LDA to secure additional housing. It is also understood the Cabinet will agree that project level commitments by the LDA would no longer have to be reviewed by NewERA to ensure speed and efficiency. Under the plans, the LDA will now support a wider area of homes delivery beyond the current locations of the LDA remit and seek out and activate additional and strategic public land sites to deliver, such as urban brownfield sites. It will for stronger land transfer powers owned by commercial state bodies, particularly when it comes to underutilised State lands and the LDA will work with Browne's housing activation office in master planning. Policy and legislative changes will now be finalised and a memo will be brought to Government in the near future. It is understood that former HSE Chief Paul Reid is expected to be named as the chairperson of the newly overhauled An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will replace An Bord Pleanála. Higher Education Minister James Lawless will bring the Heads of a Bill to unlock €1.5bn for the National Training Fund. This will see €650m in core funding package for Higher Education (€150m per annum). It will also include €600m capital uplift including €150m to provide training facilities in the areas of Veterinary, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry, €150m for the upgrading and decarbonisation of the third level estate, €150m capital funding for the Further Education and Training Sector and €150m for research including research infrastructure and an increase in the PhD stipend. The Bill will also contain €235m in one-off current funding for skills and apprenticeships. Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary will bring an amendment to the Bereaved Partners Bill, which will 'tackle economic crime'. It will allow a Social Welfare Inspector or an Authorised Officer from the Department of Social Protection to, at the behest and invitation of An Garda Síochána, participate in the interview of a detained suspect regarding offences under the Social Welfare Act. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon will update Cabinet on the first interim report by the Timber in Construction Steering Group. which Minister Michael Healy Rae has also been working on. It recommends that Ireland needs to use more wood in construction and we 'embrace' best practice in countries where timber is the material of choice. It should also look toward a 'Wood First' procurement policy advocating for all publicly procured buildings to be constructed using materials primarily of timber and other bio-based products. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will seek approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to property adapted for use by disabled persons. This will provide for a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property which has been adapted for use by a disabled person, subject to certain criteria being met. This is an increase from €50,000 in the 2012 Act. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, alongside Minister Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026. It uses a dashboard of 35 indicators of well-being divided across 11 sections. The report shows the progress Ireland has made over the past five years, both in terms of the trend and in comparison to international peers. Progress was seen in Income and Wealth; Connections, Community and Participation; and Work and Job Quality. The analysis also identifies areas where work is needed, highlighting that unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates are faring less well than other groups in society. Elsewhere, Tánaiste Simon Harris will outline the preparations underway for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. During the presidency term there will be 23 informal Ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin. There will also be a summit of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin.
