I thank the Deputy for his question. It is a matter that he has raised previously. I will make a number of points. Under the local authority affordable purchase scheme, local authorities are involved with developers in building homes and seek expressions of interest for them from the public.

No, before they are built. Extending the first home scheme so that people can express an upfront interest in availing of it needs to be considered. I will take this matter up directly with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, and our Department.

There were 19 contributors. I want to acknowledge the importance of the debate. I really want to echo what the Minister said and to reaffirm our commitment to tackling homelessness and solving the housing crisis. Since the formation of this Government, we have been committed to long-term sustainable solutions to homelessness, accelerating the supply of homes including building of sufficient social and affordable homes. We are fully aware. The recent rise in homelessness is of course of serious concern to everyone h…

When people buy a home, they should have control over that home. We cannot have them just as glorified tenants. It is hugely important for Sinn Féin to spell it out. It is very well to throw out a figure of €300,000 without putting flesh on it. With the schemes we have, including the local authority affordable housing scheme, people can get up to a 40% discount and still qualify for the help-to-buy scheme. We changed that in the last budget to deal with people who can purchase whose income is not very high. On the …

The Deputy is wrong on that.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, lines 16 and 17, to delete all words from and including “and” in line 16 down to and including line 17 and substitute the following: “to extend the circumstances within which a person may apply for an affordable dwelling purchase arrangement under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and for that purpose to amend that Act; to provide for consultation with the Public Appointments Service prior to a declaration under the Local Government Act 2001 in relation to qualifications in respect …

I am speaking to amendment No. 77.

To re-emphasise, amendment No. 77 also inserts a new subparagraph 160(1)(b)(iii) in section 160(1)(b) to provide that the amendment to new subparagraph 161(1)(b)(ii) will not affect any legal cases that are in being. This amendment will ensure that where legal proceedings have been initiated prior to the commencement of section 66 of the Bill, such proceedings will not be affected. This is an important provision. On a general note, it is good that we have extra time for this Bill. I hope we can all work together to…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, line 22, to delete "Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Act 2023" and substitute"Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023".

I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, to delete lines 23 and 24 and substitute the following: "(2) The Local Government Acts 1925 to 2023 and this Act (other than Part 5 and section 65 ) may be cited together as the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2023.".

I thank the Deputy. Amendment No. 5 is similar to the amendment tabled by Deputy Quinlivan on Committee Stage and proposes to reduce the review period from three years after the office of mayor is established to two years. As I outlined on Committee Stage, we can all agree that once the office of mayor is established and the mayor is in situ for the appropriate period, there will need to be a review of the operation and effect of this historic legislation. That is something on which I am strong. The Bill makes prov…

I thank the Deputy. On a point of clarification, if a Member is not present in the House, do I still speak to the amendment? I do. That is fine. Amendment No. 8 in the name of Deputy Paul Murphy would prohibit the mayor from having any other occupation while amendment No. 7, in the name of Deputy Quinlivan, my Limerick colleague, and others, seeks to stop the mayor from having any other paid employment for the duration of his or her term.

That is fine. I thank the Chairman for that clarification. I thought as much but it is good to have it clarified for the record. We had a very open discussion on this subject on Committee Stage. I recognise the good intentions of the amendments and appreciate that their aim is to ensure that Limerick can expect to have a mayor who is fully committed to advancing the issues that concern Limerick people in their daily lives. Indeed, we are all working to that aim but Deputy Quinlivan's point is well made. As promised…

Amendment No. 9 aims to include further functions for the mayor. New subsection (6) proposes the mayor have an ambassadorial role in promotion and delivery of the living wage in business in Limerick. As I outlined on Committee Stage, the Government has committed to progress to a national living wage by 2026 by incremental increases of the national minimum wage, which has a statutory basis. As part of budget 2024, the Government has increased the national minimum wage to €12.70 per hour from 1 January, a 12.4% incre…

Amendment No. 14 relates to the assignment of staff to the office of mayor. I note that Deputies Bacik and Leddin have tabled similar amendments, Nos. 12 and 15. The appointment of staff to the office of mayor was the subject of much debate on Second Stage and Committee Stage. The Bill, as published, provides that the director general will appoint the office staff in line with their responsibility for staffing matters. That is what was put to the people at the plebiscite. I am conscious that there are large numbers…

I note the points Members have made. I have a few observations to make. When I came into this role, I had to look at a body of legislation that was not only around the legal form but also required a consideration of whether it would work in practice. I have been very honest in that. There are five staff, one of whom, the special adviser, is directly appointed by the mayor. The draft legislation I took on had it that the staff in the mayor's office would be appointed by the director general. I took on board the poin…

I move amendment No. 14: In page 15, line 23, after “general” to insert “, after consultation with the Mayor,”.

I move amendment No. 16: In page 16, to delete lines 14 to 20 and substitute the following: “(a) in section 13— (i) by the insertion, after subsection (1), of the following subsections: “(1A) Subject to subsection (2), a person to whom subsection (1) applies, other than a person referred to in paragraph (b) or (e) of that subsection, is disqualified from being elected to the office of Mayor of Limerick. (1B) Subject to subsection (2), a person to whom subsection (1) applies is disqualified from holding the office o…

I move amendment No. 17: In page 16, lines 29 and 30, to delete “ Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Act 2023 ” and substitute “ Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 ”.

I move amendment No. 18: In page 17, to delete lines 1 to 13.