Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has said the major increase in properties receiving Accommodation Recognition Payments (ARP) in Wicklow is extremely concerning at a time of soaring rents and a deepening housing crisis.
Figures released to Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy TD, reveal that the number of properties nationwide in receipt of ARP rose from 4,245 in January 2023 to 21,803 by mid-July of this year, a staggering rise of over 17,500. In Wicklow, the number has jumped from 154 to 463 over the same period.
“This is a significant and worrying increase in the number of private properties being brought into the ARP scheme”, Deputy Brady said. “In Wicklow alone, we have seen ARP properties triple in the space of just 18 months. This is happening while thousands of families in the county are being priced out of the private rental market. This is particularly concerning when only 58 properties are currently available to rent in the county”.
Brady said that the scheme was flawed from the outset and has contributed to driving up rents across the state.
“We in Sinn Féin warned from the beginning that this scheme would distort the rental market. It provides landlords with generous state payments for providing Ukrainian accomodation without any means test, supports that are not available to other workers, renters or young people trying to secure a home”.
The Wicklow TD said that the government had failed to acknowledge the impact of the scheme on rental supply.
“We are in the middle of a housing emergency”, he said. “Instead of protecting tenants or investing in long-term housing solutions, the government has created a system where landlords can cash in on the ARP, avoid the rules of the private rental sector, and bypass tenant many protections”.
Brady also highlighted that there are significantly more properties than property owners participating in the scheme, suggesting that landlords are registering multiple homes under the ARP to maximise profit.
“The figures show that 21,803 properties are being paid under the scheme, provided by just 16,900 owners”, he said. “That clearly indicates many landlords are entering more than one property, taking advantage of a state-funded scheme with little oversight or long-term benefit to the housing system”.
“This is a direct consequence of the government’s failure to plan and their refusal to engage in proper housing reform. Wicklow families are being left behind while landlords are benefitting”.