Yes, all right. In regard to the RTB, the Minister said there is significant funding but the RTB was set up by a Fianna Fáil Government. Yet the Minister claimed Sinn Féin was looking to divest powers from councillors to organisations like the RTB. That is a bit ironic given that the Minister's Department set it up so I am not sure how he can blame Sinn Féin for divesting power to the RTB when Sinn Féin has not been in government. We did not set up the RTB, so I wanted to clarify that. The Minister mentioned securi…

The Senator should get the name right. It is the glass bottle site.

We are discussing housing. We are clear, as were the previous speakers, that we are all committed. The Minister has just acknowledged, and Senator Stephenson has just said, that we do not doubt the Minister's belief that he is going to make positive changes. We do not disagree with the Minister's beliefs or doubt his integrity. We disagree with this Bill. We have outlined clearly yesterday and today why the decision not to accept these amendments is going to make the Bill worse. To clarify, I did not bemoan the lac…

I would if I could afford to, but because of Fianna Fáil and Government policies, I cannot afford it.

I was not critical of the units. I was critical of the cost of the units on the glass bottle site. Rents there are between €2,500 and €3,500 per month. Senator McCarthy mentioned Spencer Dock where someone he knows was paying over €3,500 for a one-bedroom apartment. How is that affordable for any working family or anybody in the inner city who worked on the front line during the pandemic, ensuring society continued? None of the families living in Pearse House, Countess Markievicz House, Whelan House or O'Rahilly Ho…

There was none of that. On a point of order-----

I also wish to extend my condolences to the family of Larry Butler. I knew Larry. In particular, I knew his son Lar. Larry was a great fun. He was a nice, genuine and kind man. I wish to extend my sympathies to his family and to his Fianna Fáil family. Irish Sport for Palestine has submitted a complaint to the International Criminal Court accusing the presidents of FIFA and UEFA of aiding and abetting war crimes against humanity in Palestine. Well done to Irish Sport for Palestine for doing this. Ireland must not p…

-----sport and politics cannot be separated. Cut out the nonsense that sport and politics do not mix because they cannot be separated. I acknowledge the filing parties, which are: Irish Sport for Palestine; Scottish Sport for Palestine; Just Peace Advocates; Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor; and Sports Scholars for Justice in Palestine.

Seven Irish MEPs, including three of the MEPs present, supported Ursula von der Leyen and rejected a motion of no confidence in her in July. Why did they support Ursula von der Leyen despite her support for and facilitation of genocide in Gaza? In many ways, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael MEPs think and hope that no one will notice that they supported a genocide enabler, Ursula von der Leyen, but we see them and we hear them talking about it.

I did not interrupt Senator Clifford-Lee. I ask her to show respect, please. We hear these MEPs talk about the horrors in Gaza - the genocide - but we do not see them doing anything about it. We see them supporting Ursula von der Leyen who has supported Israel to the hilt. That is not acceptable. MEPs should not do that. The Government talks about the occupied territories Bill but it will not pass it. It is blocking the Bill. The least the MEPs can do is be clear. If they support Israel, they should say they suppor…

You backed her up.

It is accurate.

In fairness, Ms Funchion did that.

The Senator could argue about MEPs voting for Ursula von der Leyen too, but we are not making a point of that.

I will make a criticism of the Bill. It is political criticism, and I ask the Minister State not to take it personally. I know the officials have put in a huge amount of hard work. Because the legislation is being rushed through the Dáil and Seanad, renters and the public are not being allowed to examine it and have a good long look at the ins and outs of it in any detail. This is being rushed through. It is the most profound change to the regulations of the private rental sector in a decade. The centrepiece of the…

It is on the public record. The Government has been taken hostage by companies and organisations such as this, and they are ensuring that this legislation is put through. Lorcan Sirr said the Government is trying to convince people that it will bring down rents by allowing landlords to put up rents. That is the reality. I look at the glass bottle site in Ringsend where 3,500 or, possibly, 3,800 new homes are to be developed. The only people who will be able to buy or rent them are the really wealthy and really high…

The Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, might pass that message on. I would appreciate that. It is unfair on the residents that the Minister refuses to meet them. We undertook analysis of the average cost of this market reset which the Government talks about. It will be almost a €3,000 increase reset in the first year. For instance, existing tenancies in Carlow town currently pay €1,050 a month rent. When this Bill comes into being, a new tenancy, which is a proxy for market rents, will be €1,355. Ove…

Laois is there. It is currently €1,047 and this will be €3,132-----

-----increased over the year. You are picking people's pockets. People cannot afford the cost of living as it is and now they will be expected to pay significant sums, depending on where they live in the country. For me and the people whom I represent and meet every day, that is how Ireland works now. It is one law for the wealthy and one law for inner city communities. Irish Institutional Property has free access to Leinster House, but somebody living in Pearse House, Ringsend or Kevin Street does not have that ac…

Where do young people go? They are living at home in their 20s and want to get out, live independently and move on with their lives. What are they going to do? They have to stay at home. They cannot go out and rent. They are expected to rent. This will lead to homelessness because there are relationship breakdowns. Senator McCarthy is on the front line of dealing with homelessness and addiction issues. He has done amazing work to support people who find themselves in homelessness. Senator McCarthy and organisations…