Republican News · Thursday 24 January 2002

Cork City rent increase slammed

Speaking before this week's meeting of Cork City Council, Sinn Féin Councillor Jonathan O'Brien described the 16% rent increase imposed on council tenants as exploitative, immoral and very wrong and said it should be withdrawn.

"When the establishment parties - Labour, Fine Gael, the PDs, and Fianna Fáil - passed the estimates imposing this inordinate rent increase on tenants of Cork City Council, I pointed out that the council was behaving in a manner befitting the worst private landlord," said O'Brien. "I therefore fully support tenants who are opposing the rent increase.

"Cork City Council is making tenants pay for its own inefficiency. As I have already pointed out, if the council were to make full use of its empty properties, then it could raise the extra income now being demanded from its tenants.

"Cork City Council is abusing its position to raise funds from some of those least able to pay. For example, pensioners who are tenants are being charged an extra €10 out of the €12 extra granted to them in the budget.

"The council, as a landlord, also does not provide a good service to its tenants. Cork City Council has one of the worst repair programmes in Ireland. Repairs are very difficult to get done and there are still some properties without hot water. Tenants in the Glen and Togher have no control over their own heating. In the circumstances the rent increases are unjustified and must be withdrawn."