A Clare election candidate has cast doubt on whether new measures which could make it harder for landlords to raise rents can be enforced.
Independent Councilor Ann Norton is reacting to reports that a housing package will see landlords having to justify rent hikes by proving they're in line with the market in the area.
Ministers Alan Kelly and Michael Noonan met last night in a bid to end the ongoing row over housing within government.
It's understood that new measures that will be brought to cabinet next week would make it harder for landlords to raise rents and evict tenants.
Minister Alan Kelly had hoped to link rents to inflation, but that's been left out of the plan and a compromise housing package could now see landlords having to justify rent hikes by proving they're in line with the market in the area.
Clare County Councilor Ann Norton is welcoming the Government effort to tackle the housing crisis but she believes that the quality of housing being provided also needs to be looked at.
The Independent election candidate believes that keeping rents in line with the market will be hard to enforce and she insists that measures need to be taken quickly to deal with the pressures facing tenants.
But the Minister for Public Expenditure says houses can't be built with the click of a finger to ease the current crisis.
Minister Brendan Howlin says social housing and construction has been invested in – but the process takes time.