Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2020-07-31
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Peter Burke (FG), Longford-Westmeath

I hear the points that have been made but it is very important that we highlight the supports from the State that are available and are being turned around quickly. There will be people who will be in distress in terms of discharging their rent. This Bill deals with that with regard to Covid-19. There are State supports for other tenancies and they are being dealt with quickly. There is a three-day turnaround in respect of the community welfare officer, which is very efficient in terms of people undergoing stress. We have all worked with people in our clinics up and down the country who are under stress and we advise them about those supports. They are there and are ready and waiting. We must keep advising people about this because tenants who are under pressure through this period and are unable to discharge their rent need to be aware that the State is ready, willing and available to help through MABS, supports like rent supplement and those other available supports that we will be able to discuss to do our best to keep their in their tenancies because that is the wish of the Government. We want secure quality tenancies and to keep people in them.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-07-31