I would not want to ruin the surprise for the Deputy. To be serious, because this is serious, staff and services are being provided to our citizens across the Twenty-six Counties. A couple of points arise. The €600 million waiver provided is not insignificant. Colleagues will agree that significant work and negotiation were required to ensure a waiver of 100%. In early April, we advanced €136 million of the local property tax allocations that were made to local authorities. The full allocation of local property tax…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 46 and 47 together. I thank the Deputies. The programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government will approach it as a priority. This year, we are seeing a reduction in the numbers of people in emergency accommodation. That is to be welcomed. Deputy Murphy's assertion that homelessness figures are rising is incorrect. The statistics do not bear that out. We have seen a slight increase in the home…

I apologise.

I will take the last question first. I agree with the Deputy. I have already met our delivery partners, the local authorities and the approved housing bodies. In any schemes that are brought to us, I want to see designs for community schemes that provide for a mix of units. I visited one such scheme yesterday with the Taoiseach in Balgriffin. More than half the units there are one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. There are also three-bedroom family apartments. We want a mix. It is true that that is what we need. We a…

On Deputy Ó Murchú's question on Housing First, our priority is to expand it into the rest of the country on a singles basis first. Where local authorities such as Louth County Council have other plans, they should bring them forward and we will have a look at them. Our focus must be on tackling homelessness and expanding Housing First as it exists.

The commitments in relation to constitutional reform in the programme for Government provide for the holding of a referendum on housing. My Department has begun the initial work on scoping the complex issues involved and will in due course make recommendations on how we might progress such a referendum. I do intend to, and will, consult with my colleagues in government as to the proposal that should be put to the electorate and the appropriate timeframes that should apply to the process. Having regard to the breadt…

I am indeed. I will have nine minutes and they will each have three. I will look into the matter Deputy Ó Broin mentioned. Where I was today in Adamstown, I saw fantastic work that has taken place and continues to take place. This is also the case in other parts of south Dublin like Killinarden where the Deputy's own party opposed 100 social homes and 300 affordable homes as part of another LIHAF scheme. I will be reviewing how LIHAF works but delivery on the ground is what is crucial. I thank the Deputy for bringi…

I thank the Deputies for their amendment and I understand the reason for which it was tabled. However, I cannot accept the Labour Party amendment to provide the Government with power to extend the new emergency period. I am of the view, as I stated on Second Stage, that all parties should have an input into any further legislation required in this area. I commit to facilitating that. Strong primary legislation is my preference and that of the Government. Continuing extension of the legislation under emergency power…

For the genuine information of Deputy McGrath, no one is looking for an extension in this grouping of amendments. I will put section 4 in context first, and then I will deal with some of the queries and points raised by other Members. It might be helpful if I set out the purpose of section 4 of the Bill. I wish to make it clear to those who tabled amendments on behalf of the Opposition, however, that I will not be accepting them. I will be moving the Government amendment to this section which is also one of those i…

I will reply to Deputy Ó Broin and give him the respect of using the title he earned by being elected to the House. If he wants me to refer to him as Eoin, I will do so also.

That is okay. All of us earnestly hope that a second wave does not present itself. If that does happen, we will consider the public health measures that would be required. The ESRI research is independent, rather than a survey on a party's website that asks people to click on a link. It has signalled the issue of potential and actual rent arrears. That is why the Bill focuses directly on that cohort of people. The Bill puts on a primary legislative footing the protections that are needed for those who need them mos…

I am not shaking my head.

I thank the Deputies for raising their various points. I will shortly deal with the specific queries Deputy Boyd Barrett had. Swearing a declaration is not a new provision. It is illegal to make a false declaration. That is not new and refers to a previous Act. In instances where somebody unintentionally does so, the RTB will obviously have discretion and will be asked to exercise its judgment for any unintentional or genuine mistakes that are made. That absolutely will not be an issue. I cannot accept any Oppositi…

I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, to delete lines 16 to 18 and substitute the following: "(3) Section 6 of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (1), by the insertion immediately after "this Act" of "or section 4 of the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 .". These are very technical amendments that are just for drafting purposes to tidy up the language. I have nothing further to say on them.

I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, to delete line 19 and substitute the following: "(4) Section 9 of the Act of 2004 is amended by—".

I thank the Members for their contributions and the amendments that have been put forward. I will deal individually with the items that have been raised. Perhaps I will deal with the section first and then try to respond to the queries. We have to look at the provisions that are in place now and the basis of those provisions, which is emergency legislation. What I and the Government will do is put the provisions on a stronger footing by way of primary legislation that will extend protections for those who need them…

Let us be clear about it. If we are being adult and honest about it, that is what it is seeking in its amendment. The declaration does not mean that a tenant or relevant person engaging in anti-social behaviour will be allowed to wreak havoc until January 2021. I heard Deputy Ó Broin comment on this both publicly and privately. That person's tenancy can be terminated in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act with seven days' notice. If there is a rogue tenant, and there are very few, who is wreaking havoc on…

No. What I am saying is that such tenants are not covered under these protections.

They can-----

That is not appropriate. If Deputy Ó Broin does not wish to hear the proper legal advice or a response to the amendments that have been tabled, that is fine. A tenant who wreaks havoc and engages in serious anti-social behaviour will not be protected under this legislation. It is as simple as that. Deputy Ó Broin can carry on in the disrespectful manner in which he has been carrying on in this debate. That is fine. What I am interested in-----