Taoiseach Leo Varadkar among 21 landlord TDs named in Dail ahead of rental vote

People Before Profit has tabled the draft legislation, which is doomed to fail. But the effort saw landlord TDs named in the Dail.

Paul Murphy TD said: “The names of the landlord TDs who should not vote on this Bill because they have a clear conflict of interest are as follows: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael, Brian Leddin of the Green Party, Michael Creed of Fine Gael, John Paul Phelan of Fine Gael again, Richard Bruton of Fine Gael, Sean Canney of the Regional Independents, Noel Grealish, Regional Independent, Matt Shanahan, Independent, Alan Dillon , Fine Gael again, Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil, Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil, Thomas Byrne, Fianna Fáil, Sean Haughey, Fianna Fáil, James Lawless, Fianna Fáil, Aindreas Moynihan, Fianna Fáil, Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil , Michael Healy-Rae, Rural Independents, Carol Nolan, Rural Independents, Alan Kelly, Labour, Johnny Guirke, Sinn Féin, Stephen Donnelly, Fianna Fáil.”

He added: “Those people should not participate in the vote. To do so is to engage in a conflict of interest.”

Mick Barry, also from PBP, said Independent TD Verona Murphy had raised the idea of people recusing themselves. “I think that point should be noted. I would like to see a declaration of interests before the vote tonight, because Deputy Murphy is right.

“We have a Landlord’s Dáil being run by a landlord's government,” he said.

“The percentage of landlords within society is 5pc of the population. It's a pretty big multiple of that in this place.”

He told the Government benches: “You won a vote last July on a similar piece. of legislation by 14 votes. Without those (landlord) votes, it would be a different story. “So I call on all landlords ed in the dog to do the right thing today, to recuse themselves from voting on this issuey and furthering their own economic and class interests at the expense of the rest of the ordinary working class people and their families.”

He said some people were spending 50pc or even 60pc of their income on rent, while continually being threatened with further rent increases.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghail: “The whole area is comprehensively covered by legislation, and operated and overseen by the Standards in Public Offices Commission.”