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Sinn Féin plans bill outlawing ‘sex for rent’

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on housing has published legislation that would make seeking sex for rent, or advertising such arrangements, an offence.

Dublin Mid-West TD Eoin Ó Broin (pictured) will seek to introduce the bill when the Dáil resumes in September.

The move comes after an undercover RTÉ Investigates report last week on the practice.

A bill on the issue introduced by Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan was passed early last year, but did not go ahead after pre-legislative scrutiny.

Deputy Ó Broin said that, a year on, the practice continued.

Vulnerable tenants

“Seeking sex for rent is a disgusting predatory form of behaviour. It should be outlawed,” he said.

The Sinn Féin TD’s bill would make it an offence, under section 19 of that Residential Tenancies Act 2004, for a landlord to seek sex in lieu of rent, or to advertise for such arrangements.

“It is unacceptable that vulnerable tenants would be exposed to this kind of abhorrent behaviour,” he stated.

“It is also unacceptable that almost two years since the issue was first brought to public attention, and a full year after legislation passed in the Dáil, that the Government has failed to act,” Deputy Ó Broin added.