The Pat Kenny Show DCC to increase rents for tenants living in social housing
Nov 25, 2025
Daryl Barron, a Fianna Fáil councillor and Dublin City Council group leader, defends a controversial budget approving rent increases for social housing. He explains the impact on various income levels, emphasizing protections for lower earners. In contrast, Conor Reddy, a People Before Profit Solidarity councillor, argues that these hikes will heavily burden HAP recipients and propose a rates rebate scheme to fund housing needs. The debate ignites over who really bears the cost and if tenants will accept these changes or push back.
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Council Passed Rent Hike To Fund Maintenance
- Dublin City Council passed a rent increase for social housing tenants by one vote after months of work on a Rent Review Committee.
- Councillor Daryl Barron says increases are modest for low earners and will fund €35m extra for housing maintenance.
Concrete Tenant Examples From Councillor Barron
- Daryl Barron gave concrete examples of tenant impacts, like a single mother paying an extra €1.22–€2.22 per week.
- He framed these cases to argue the increases protect lower-income tenants while raising maintenance funds.
Higher Earners Face Capped Percentage Hike
- The maximum increase for higher earners is about 13.4%, equating to roughly €267 for someone on €8,000 monthly income.
- Barron frames this as a transparent, income-weighted approach to rent adjustments.