This is incredible. The Taoiseach is dismissing the voices of people in housing distress.

He is dismissing the voices of people in housing distress.

That is shocking.

Shame on you.

Only when you dismiss the real-life experience of the people-----

-----suffering under your failed housing policies.

You are an absolute disgrace.

The Taoiseach did not even respond to one of those real-life case studies.

You need to get on with it.

It is everybody else’s fault but yours and your Minister's. You are in charge; take responsibility.

I thank the Minister of State for his opening statement. I thank Deputy Joan Collins, who initially requested the debate, primarily to give us an opportunity in the Dáil to discuss the conclusions and outworking of the negotiations between water services workers, Irish Water, the County and City Management Association, CCMA, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the future delivery of domestic water services. Before I make my remarks specifically on this issue, I acknowledge that the Minis…

I know this was outlined to us in advance on the previous Stage and I appreciate fully that accountability to the Committee of Public Accounts is an innovation but the Water Advisory Body does more than make an appearance or two per year at the Committee of Public Accounts. It is also made up of very different people, including environmental activists and people with expertise in water quality. It seems very strange simply to dissolve the Water Advisory Body, so I will pose a few questions before I decide whether t…

The argument here is not that the Committee of Public Accounts should not have the role prescribed in the legislation. I think we all support that. It is a very good thing. For all the criticisms many of us have of Irish Water, it has also made itself available to our committee regularly and in very detailed form. That is not the question I am asking. The makeup of the Water Advisory Body is very different. It includes a range of people. If the Minister of State has decided on this course of action, how does he pro…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 6, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “Referendum on the right to water 5. The Minister shall, not later than 2 months after the passing of this Act, lay a report before the Oireachtas Committee that— (a) proposes the wording for a referendum on the public ownership of water infrastructure, (b) sets out a timeline for the referendum, and (c) sets out in detail all other key considerations.”. These amendments are virtually identical other than for the space of one month…

The Deputy would have to get permission from the people of Fermanagh because the water starts there.

I thank People Before Profit for tabling this very positive motion and for allowing us to support it in the debate today. I will start by calling out the increasing dishonesty around Government discourse on housing. We have heard many of the untruths here again today. We are told repeatedly by the Government that we will see an expenditure of €4 billion annually for tackling the housing crisis. I have recent figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which confirm that first, direct State…

The most recent reports from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage tell us that homelessness in the State is that the highest level ever recorded since the modern reporting method was introduced. As the Minister of State knows, in August there were over 10,800 adults and more than 3,000 children in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage-funded emergency accommodation. The Minister of State also knows that the real level of homelessness, including adults and children in emergency acc…

I thank the Minister. I will keep my comments brief because I want to ensure that everybody gets an opportunity to talk to as many of the amendments as possible. As the Minister knows, Sinn Féin supports the Bill but there are a number of small changes that he can make to it today and tomorrow or that he can consider immediately afterwards. My amendments Nos. 13 and 14 are a part of this group. The particular problem with the section of the Schedule those amendments seek to change is that if someone receives a noti…

I will speak specifically to amendment No. 8 in this grouping, which seeks to remove the overcrowding exemption from the deferred notice to quit due dates. We were all expecting that there would be exemptions. We have all made very clear that if somebody is wilfully not paying their rent, is damaging the property or engaging in antisocial behaviour, they should not get the protections other renters will get following the passage of this Bill. Many of us were surprised when we saw that ground No. 2 in the table in s…

Shame on you.