Madam, - The widespread analysis recently in The Irish Times on the report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on Property rights heightened my concern at the lack of "property" rights for those of us living in the private rented sector.
The findings of the report did indicate that the construction industry and the social housing sector interests appear to be well served by their respective representative bodies but no such voice exists for us.
A new Private Rented Tenancies Bill was supposed to help tenants in the private rented sector. But beyond new administrative arrangements for mediation there appears to be no real extra "property" rights for private sector tenants. We should compare this to the situation with commercial property where the property rights of such tenants are protected even after a property is sold.
It is time for those of us living in the private rented sector to become better organised so that our views are properly represented.
If we don't, we will be relying on others to effectively determine our property rights. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN BYRNE,
South Circular Road,
Dublin 8.