As Sinn Féin has stated previously, we welcomed the significant revenue the Government is providing for local authorities to fill the loss of rates revenue. We are still unclear about what will happen with the loss of non-rates revenue and additional Covid-19 expenditure. I know the Minister cannot tell me how much may or may not be in the budget because he is still negotiating that but he might be able to tell us what the County and City Management Association has told him is the shortfall both for the non-rates r…

I thank the Minister for his reply. As he knows from what I said at the committee meeting, we will support the Revised Estimate tomorrow. I understand the CCMA has, in very detailed discussions with the Minister's officials, given ballpark figures for the non-rates revenue and the additional Covid-19 expenditure. They are not absolutely accurate. I would have thought it would have been helpful to share the figures with us so we would have a sense of the quantum of need. The Minister is correct to emphasise that not…

While I welcome the call for housing, although we will have to wait to see what it produces, the real problem is that we are not producing enough one-bedroom units in the social housing pipeline. In my own constituency, the housing waiting list is over 4,000 households. The demand for one-bedroom accommodation is a staggering 43.5% of that figure. It was previously 33% but it has gone up. If that trend is replicated in the other urban areas and one compares that to the low number of one-bedroom units in the social …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000 and to repeal the Build to Rent and Shared Accommodation sections of the following guidelines issued to planning authorities thereafter, namely Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments, March 2018. Every week, we hear of another co-living planning application, particularly in our large cities. Yesterday, news broke of a 500-bed co-living development in Smithfield, Dublin 7. At the l…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I thank my colleague and constituency partner, Deputy Ward, for tabling this important motion. We have had lots of discussions in our society about how Covid-19 has impacted various sections of our population but we probably have not discussed enough the very negative impact it has had on our young people. It is really important we do not as a society demonise young people because the past seven months have been exceptionally difficult for many of them. The closure of schools, the temporary loss of youth services, …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, for attending. It is a truism but one which cannot be said enough that rents in the private rental sector are simply too high. For too many people renting privately, the cost is far too expensive. New rentals in Dublin now cost more than €2,000 per month, with average rents in the capital running at more than €1,700. Elsewhere in the State, new rentals are €1,400 per month and the cost is even higher in many urban centres. The …

It is regrettable that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, did not stay to listen to the contributions of other Deputies and to the conclusion of the debate. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State. It gives the House the impression that the Minister is not interested in a genuine debate, where we thrash out differing opinions to try to reach the best solutions. The former Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, unfortunately developed a similar habit and his Minister of S…

The taxi industry is in a deep crisis. Yesterday's protest, which saw thousands upon thousands of taxi drivers participate, demonstrates the depth of the problem. The industry has been deeply affected by the closure of the entertainment, sport and tourism sectors - sectors that also need greater attention from this House and the Government. From the outset, taxi drivers have been let down by this Government. It started with the taxi drivers over-66, many of whom were earning up to €500 per week, not receiving any p…

I thank the Minister of State for his introductory statement. While I appreciate he is only a few short weeks in his job I want to highlight what is very clearly a gap between his description of the services and supports the Government is providing and the reality in many constituencies, urban and rural, throughout the State. As the Minister of State knows, I represent Dublin Mid-West and I am a former member of the Clondalkin drug and alcohol task force. Before speaking here today, I spoke to a number of managers …

I want to start by acknowledging the exceptionally difficult job the Minister, her Department and the entire school community have had and will continue to have in ensuring the reopening and functioning of the schools. It is a job we all need to acknowledge is difficult and we need to work with the Minister and her Department on that. I want to restate Sinn Féin’s clear position. We have said all along that we want the schools to open. We want them to open, in the first instance, in the best interests of children b…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, lines 6 to 8, to delete all words from and including “serves” in line 6 down to and including line 8 and substitute “in the opinion of the Board—”. Section 4 of the Bill is the section that seeks to substantially narrow the scope of protections for tenants from the existing emergency provisions to those who have had their income reduced as a result of the impact of Covid-19 and who have rent arrears and, therefore, face a significant risk of losing their tenancy. The amendments to…

I would like to respond briefly to the Minister. I had not intended to respond but since the Minister repeated some of the factually inaccurate information he provided on Second Stage, I thought I should do so. I know the Minister does not pay much attention to the powers and functions of the Northern Assembly but if he did, he would know that the assembly does not have the legal authority to introduce the kind of legislation a sovereign parliament does. It cannot, for example, legally ban evictions. Under the curr…

Eoin is absolutely fine.

I will press the amendment.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 10, to delete “significant”.

I will press the amendment.

I am happy to give way to Deputy Boyd Barrett.

I am happy to support amendment No. 4, which is a much clearer and stronger amendment than mine. I fully concur with Opposition colleagues. Based on his comments so far, one would assume the Minister will not accept amendment No. 4. I ask him to look at the wording of this section of the Bill, which refers to a criminal offence where somebody provides information that is false or misleading. The dictionary definition of "false" suggests that there is intent, that somebody intentionally falsifies something. However,…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 5, line 14, after "is" to insert "deliberately and intentionally".