I have listened to Tadhg an dá thaobh for most of the day, so let us just focus on what we need to do to bring in real protections for people. The key focus of section 4 is to assist tenants faced with adverse economic impacts on foot of the Covid-19 pandemic and who find themselves unable to pay rent and at a significant risk of having their tenancy terminated. It is not the case that such tenants have to declare they are going to become homeless, as Sinn Féin is asking people to do. We need to target help to thos…

This is not a point of order.

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 to all Deputies for facilitating the urgent passage of this very important legislation through the Houses this week. The programme for Government recognises the important role that the private rented sector will continue to play into the future. The Government is seeking to address challenges in this sector, including those relating to standards, security and affordability for renters. I am asking the Oireachtas to pass the …

The Deputy should send me the details.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle agus déanaim comhghairdeas léi as ucht a post nua. Guím ádh mór uirthi. I thank all of the contributors who brought forward their views on the Bill. We will move to Committee Stage on Thursday and I want to give a commitment to Members that I and my officials will consider any amendments brought forward, and where they are reasonable, practical and can be introduced, we will certainly consider them very openly. I am also conscious of the fact that the Government has on…

I move: That Dail Eireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, copies of which were laid in draft form before Dail Eireann on 22nd July, 2020.”

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important issue. It is important we understand that we deal with any issues that relate to residual debt, particularly, with renters, due to losing jobs or income because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Deputy will be aware, tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the Covid-19 emergency period and in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with landlords at the earliest opportunity. My Department recently published a g…

This is going to be an issue and we must base our response on the scientific research. The Deputy mentioned Sinn Féin has carried out research. I am carrying out research through the ESRI and the initial response from that is there has not been a massive increase. However, I take the point it is in the first three months and we have got to watch that. Measures like the PUP and temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, have helped and many of our renters are in the hospitality sector and sectors that have been badly hit …

Any response will be based on fact and on the research we have done. I will be open to looking at all options once I have that information to hand. I would say to Members that we need to look at further protection of tenants' rights on a permanent basis as well. That is why in the next couple of days I intend to bring to Cabinet a new residential tenancies (amendment) Bill which I will have in the Oireachtas next week. There are some permanent measures to strengthen rights for tenants, but it will also look at the …

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced what the previous Government defined as a new streamlined arrangement to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, SHDs, of 100 units or more or student or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination. Section 4(2) of the Act provided for the possibility of the extension of the SHD arrangements beyond…

I thank the Deputy. He has been very vocal and active on this issue in his constituency, as well as elsewhere. I have raised concerns publicly about this process. To wind it down now would take as long as it would take for it to expire. I can give the Deputy a firm commitment. Colleagues in my party also raised concerns about this matter on a number of occasions. In the programme for Government we have made a commitment that there will be no further extension beyond the expiry date of the SHD process. I want to mak…

I give the Deputy a firm commitment, on my first set of Priority Questions as Minister, in public and in front of colleagues that these provisions will not be extended. We will need to work together on the joint committee on housing, local government and heritage, as it will be constituted, on how we can strengthen resources within our local authorities and planning teams so that we can deliver good plans more quickly. One of the arguments going back to the passing of this legislation was that there was a hold-up i…

I thank the Deputy. As he knows, I am committed to putting affordability back at the heart of our housing system through the expansion and acceleration of State-backed affordable housing. Long-term financial sustainability is an important guiding principle to ensure that individuals and families can be helped to secure affordable housing on an ongoing basis. Therefore, the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, under which affordable homes for purchase will be made available, provides for a charge equal to th…

Sometimes the Deputy thinks he has all the answers on these matters but he does not. There are not only two mechanisms to deliver affordable homes. There are other mechanisms that can deliver. I have stated publicly the guide on prices that I want to see. Depending on the type of house in question and the area in which it is, that price would be between €160,000 and €260,000. There will be different economic realities depending on the sites of those houses. There is an emphasis in the programme for Government on de…

To be fair, if we had moved on the Sinn Féin motion that the Deputy put forward, we would have had an inferior and unworkable affordable housing scheme that would have left more than 40% of those who need affordable housing out of the system on the basis of the arbitrary cap on earnings of €75,000 for a couple.

I did not interrupt the Deputy once. The Sinn Féin scheme stated that a couple can apply if their gross earnings are less than €75,000. We are not going to do that.

Tá brón orm, but I did not interrupt the Deputy once.

Sometimes the Deputy does not like hearing the truth and that is fine. The truth may not suit the Deputy. Let us focus on the issue at hand.

I am exercised about this matter. It is a priority for me and has been for a number of years. Others who are now questioning me are late converts to the affordable purchase scheme, including people who voted against affordable purchase just 18 months ago.