Plans by Sinn Féin to introduce rent certainty legislation have been defeated in the Dáíl.

The bill - introduced on Tuesday by housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin - was defeated by 87 to 43.

Fianna Fáil united with the Government to vote it down with the party, saying it was an effort to 'gazump' the final report of the housing and homelessness committee which is due out tomorrow.

In a statement, Deputy O'Broin said the proposed Rent Certainty Bill would have saved renters €1,000 per year, as well as linking rent reviews to the consumer price index.

He said: “If rent certainty was introduced two years ago, during the term of the last government, the average family renting in Dublin would now be €2,000 better off.

“While it is not surprising that Fine Gael is opposed to rent certainty, Fianna Fáil’s opposition to our Bill is hard to understand and deeply disappointing. In a policy document produced last year Fianna Fáil proposed rent certainty measures," he added.