The Housing Minister has said it is "wholly incorrect" to say that rent subsidies are a "cash bonus for landlords".

Labour leader Ivana Bacik criticised Darragh O'Brien for spending "so much money subsidising private-sector provision" instead of building public housing on public land.

"We know the State funnels close to €1bn into the pockets of private landlords each year through the Housing Assistance Payment and other rent subsidy schemes," she told the Dáil.

"We've seen seven years of strong economic growth wasted, when we should have seen investment in housing provision."

Labour introduced a motion in the Dáil yesterday suggesting extending the eviction ban to the end of the year, an emergency public house building programme and strengthening the tenant in-situ scheme.

In Association with

Taking Leaders' Questions yesterday, Mr O'Brien said: "You're talking about €1bn being funnelled into the pockets of private landlords.

"That is actually €1bn that supports 60,000 tenancies, real families and housing assistance payments.

"People who continue to make that charge that it is a subsidy or cash bonus for private landlords, it's wholly incorrect," he said.