I was asked to make a point in favour of this amendment on behalf of Senators Ruane and Black. They acknowledge that limits on rent inflation need to be imposed across the State. They recognise that where rent pressure zones are already established, rent increase limits are not being adequately enforced. They say that while expanding rent pressure zones is a positive suggestion, they want adequate enforcement of rent caps where they are already imposed and adequate scrutiny of the enforcement mechanism. Senators Ru…

I do not know whether the Minister, on Second Stage, gave us notice of this amendment, although I may have missed it. It is a bit disappointing we were not given a briefing note on these Government amendments. I appreciate the Minister of State has explained as clearly as he could the intent behind them, but I am disappointed this is the first detail we are getting from the Government about the amendments.

Yes, they were but-----

Senator Garvey sometimes sits in the Chair. Senators should practise what they preach in the Chair.

I am just saying we would have appreciated a briefing note. I can still hear talking. All night I have heard talking from the Government side of the House while I am contributing to the debate, or laughing or whatever it was.

Hear, hear.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. The private rental market is broken. It is dysfunctional and everybody knows it. People are paying sky-high rents and in return they are getting absolutely no protection. Renters have no protection if the home is sold, if the landlord decides to move in, or if a family member of the landlord decides to move in. These cases amounted to 70% of all notices to quit and of evictions. How can the Government claim to be introducing tenancies of…

----- in the South, Irish citizens overseas and to graduates from all third level institutions. Focusing on that reform alone is to shirk our responsibility for radical Seanad reform. It is long overdue that we take action on this reform.

I thank Senator Martin for his comments. The next speaker is Senator Horkan, who is sharing time with Senator McGreehan. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I join colleagues here and in the Lower House in expressing my deepest sympathies and those of Sinn Féin to the families, friends and colleagues of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciarán Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby. The crew of Rescue 116 were fearless, selfless and dedicated to helping others in distress and in life-threatening circumstances. They were typical of the members and volunteers of the Irish Coast Guard and our emergency servi…

I welcome the Minister again. Sobering statistics today from the CSO show that rent as a proportion of total disposable income is highest for tenants living in and around Dublin with 36% of tenants living in Dublin city spending more than 35% of their disposable income on rent in 2019. This is evidence, if we need it, that we must put one month's rent back in the pocket of every renter in the State through a refundable tax credit up to the value of €1,500. That would give renters a break. Then, to stop any future r…

We seem to be finally on a path to greater regulation and legislation that would rein in the technology companies and the technology giants. The Digital Services Act, the online safety Bill on which Senator Carrigy and I have produced the pre-legislative report and the media committee are all going in the right direction. Companies such as Facebook, however, have a very well-resourced logging machine I know from the latest figures for 2017 in regard to the European institutions that Facebook has spent approximately…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 28 (Ministerial guidelines) of Principal Act 3. Section 28 of the Principal Act (as amended by section 20 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018) is amended by the deletion of subsection (1C).”. I welcome the Minister to the House. These two amendments scrap the controversial power the Minister has to make dramatic changes to planning law without a vote in the Oireachtas. They also ban substandar…

Let me explain the motivation behind the amendments. The mandatory planning guidelines, controversial as they were, were introduced by a previous Minister, Eoghan Murphy. They have given us co-living, build-to-rent and further height controversy. That is the motivation behind amendment No. 5. With regard to the motivation behind amendment No. 6, we talked about build-to-rent standards. Eoghan Murphy's guidelines mean less dual-aspect apartments, less storage, more studio apartments, fewer lifts and stairwells, yet …

Yes.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “ Amendment of section 28 (Ministerial guidelines) of Principal Act 3 . Section 28 of the Principal Act (as amended by section 20 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018) is amended by the insertion of following subsection after subsection (1C): “(1CA) The following planning guidelines are repealed: (a)The Build to Rent and Shared Accommodation sections of the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartme…

Hear, hear.

I move amendment No. 26: In page 9, line 3, to delete “made;”.” and substitute the following: “made; (gb) nothing in (ga) should prevent a planning authority from requesting further information where in the opinion of the planning authority such information is required to make a decision;”.” The amendment relates to the Minister being able to limit the ability of a council to request further information. We are concerned that the restrictions could be too restrictive. We want to see the regulations the Minister was…

-----before this Bill moves through the Houses in order that we can see the regulations before we support the Bill. We cannot sign up to something when we do not know what it will be. This is about further information. Nothing should prevent a planning authority from requesting further information if it is of the view that it needs such information in order to make a decision. As I said, we are concerned that the restrictions will be too restrictive. We would like to see the regulations. In this Bill, for example, …

We do not want local authorities to unnecessarily delay the process either but if they do need more information that is critical to their ability to make a decision, they should be able to get it. In the absence of published regulations, we are being asked to sign up to something on which we do not have detail. Without those regulations, I will press the amendment to a vote.