-----up until the local elections last year so he can ask Daithí Doolan and his friends there who he controls about why they did not vote for certain housing developments across the city. To get back to the Deputy's point, the Government is interested in letting local authorities build. We raised the discretionary cap to €6 million to allow local authorities to do that. That proposal did not come from anyone here.

The non-adversarial nature that is professed by the Deputies opposite has already broken down in advance of me receiving any proposal whatsoever regarding the Oscar Traynor Road development. What this Government will do in the budget that the Opposition voted against is use the single largest housing budget in the State's history, with €3.3 billion for housing and 12,750 new social, public homes to be delivered next year. The Opposition opposed it. We will carry on with the job of delivering homes for people and th…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue, which we also discussed six weeks ago. There have been, as he rightly said, a number of deaths recently of people who were either rough sleeping or accessing homeless services. Every death is a tragedy. I have already and will extend again my sympathy to their families, friends and to the service providers who get to know many of their clients very well. We all know that every single death hurts in that respect. To better understand what is happening the DRH…

No one wants to categorise people within this. All I am saying is that I used the example of that gentleman and there are others, who are people who were accessing homeless services and counted in these terrible figures and shocking statistics. That is just to simply state a fact. I chair the north Dublin regional drugs and alcohol task force and I am aware of the need to increase funding. I see the work that is done through Housing First. Up to the end of September, 459 individuals were housed through Housing Firs…

I understand that.

We are still on the question raised by Deputy Ó Broin at the moment and I know that Deputy O’Callaghan has a question on that.

That is okay.

That is okay. I am just asking because the Deputy has a question on a particular issue, just a couple of questions down on the list. Returning to Deputy Ó Broin’s point, we need to look at how these deaths are reported. I am going to do that and am giving a commitment here, as well as when the report is completed. The appropriate place for that is the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and this would be a good thing to do. I have not asked the professor herself but if the author of the report…

I am grateful to this House and Dáil Éireann for facilitating the passage of this critical legislation through the Oireachtas. I am conscious that the Seanad has been given limited time to examine the Bill and table amendments for debate. As colleagues know, I am a strong supporter of the Upper House, having been leader of the Opposition here for five years - in the other Chamber, that is, rather than this one - and having voted against and defeated the Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Sean…

How long do I have?

I hope I get back those ten seconds. As I have not had an opportunity to do so in person, I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on his elevation. I thank Senators for their support and queries and I will deal with as many of them as possible in the short space of time I have. I assure Senators that I spoke with the Leader a number of weeks ago and I intend to come here for a specific debate on housing. I have immense regard for the Upper House and have served in it. Some people may have missed my initial remarks, …

This issue arose previously, and there is one element that is relevant to the rent-a-room aspect. It was mentioned by Senator Seery Kearney as well. It is not for a landlord to decide if it is a rent-a-room situation or a real tenancy. The RTB can adjudicate on that point. Regarding this amendment, I cannot accept it. The Residential Tenancies Acts do not apply to licensing arrangements, save in the student-specific sector. I worked to have that aspect included when I was in opposition and on the housing committee …

To answer Senator Burke's question, later this afternoon the Seanad will debate the Health (Amendment) Bill that deals with the fines aspects. In terms of a breach due to exceeding the number of people allowed in a home, the person legally responsible in that instance is the tenant if he or she is in charge of the house. That is something for later this afternoon when the health legislation comes here. I understand the manner and spirit in which the amendments have been tabled. In reality, if any amendment were acc…

It is the tenants' problem. I try to do things that are realistic.

I have explained, Senator. He is here on his own. I respect this House, have come in here and asked the House for forbearance so that I can bring in this legislation that provides protections to tenants that are required in the middle of a pandemic, like I did in July. If we need additional protections into the future, as I said in July I would return to both Houses and introduce those, which is what I am doing and I am good to my word. What I am also inclined to do, and what any Government must do, is act responsi…

I take the point made by the Senator but there are six amendments in this grouping.

I do not even need to speak to the amendments; I could just say that I am not accepting them.

It is important, out of respect to Senators, that I explain why that is the case. Senators, including Senator Higgins, have gone to the trouble of preparing and tabling these amendments and I will not delay much further. An issue that has arisen a number of times is the sale of property being used as a reason to terminate a tenancy. There are about 200 ongoing investigations into that at the moment. There is a fine of up to €30,000 and prosecutions may be made. The provisions are intended to be fair. I recognise th…

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle and all Deputies and Senators for facilitating the urgent passage of this critical legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas. This evening I am asking Deputies to pass the Bill in order to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on tenants and to support the Government's efforts to restrict the movement of people in order to suppress the spread of this virus. The front line of the struggle against this virus is in every hous…