I concur with Senators Boyhan and Higgins on the need for the highest standards of accountability and transparency in any State agency or organisation. However, the provisions made in respect of the LDA mean that it will be accountable not only to the Minister and the Government, but to the Oireachtas. It will be accountable to all Oireachtas joint committees, the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General. It will be subject to freedom of information legislation and will rely on the plann…

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House with the Land Development Agency Bill 2021, which the Fianna Fáil Party is obviously supporting. It reflects the result of the general election in 2020 when people voted for change, and particularly for change in the Government's and State's role in the provision of housing. The electorate then quite legitimately asked why we have such a housing crisis of supply and affordability when we have so much land; why the State is not providing affordable homes; why l…

Very briefly-----

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for returning again to the House and bringing forward these amendments. I thank him for taking on board the feedback he has received from my party and obviously from others as well. This is the fourth or fifth time he has legislated to protect renters in the year he has been in office. I think it has been a year so I congratulate him on his one-year anniversary. It is really important that provisions are being made to extend protections for re…

I will be very brief. I thank the Minister and Senators. This is an urgent Bill which we needed to pass and that has now passed. The linking of rent increases to the consumer price index is long overdue. I thank the Minister. He is correct in saying that this is a very constructive House. He is welcome to bring a Bill, that will address our housing crisis, before this House any day of the week. This Bill addresses the issue for renters and landlords, but we need to do more. The Minister knows this and we look forwa…

I ask the Leader to raise, on behalf of the Seanad, the proposal of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the planning process for strategic developments, specifically strategic housing developments. It has been reported, and I welcome the fact that the Minister has acknowledged through the proposal to undertake the review, that the strategic planning process is not working and has failed to result in a significant increase in the delivery of housing, which is adding enormous pressure to…

I thank the Minister of State for accepting the amendment and moving his own amendments. It is very important that we as a House copper-fasten the superior authority of the elected members of each local authority. I am very conscious that local authority members, especially here in Dublin, are undertaking marathon meetings, most of which have been virtual due to Covid, and it is most important that we support them to make the best possible development plans for their cities and counties. This amendment gives the po…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, line 31, to delete “not less than three quarters” and substitute “a simple majority”.

I welcome the Minister and congratulate him and everybody in the Green Party, for whom this must be a proud time, given the many decades they have been campaigning. It is a proud time for everybody around the country who, in a big and small way, has contributed to getting us to where we are. This is an historic piece of legislation and one that hopefully will serve generations to come, including my children, their children, whoever. It is important that we get this right. I commend everybody on the joint Oireachtas…

Okay.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, back to the Seanad. I thank him for bringing this legislation forward. I hope there will be unanimous support for the amendments the Minister is bringing forward. The proposal we are considering today is to extend the emergency protection periods for renters who have been negatively impacted by Covid. I commend the Minister and the Government on the supports they have provided. While I accept that only 1% of renters have fallen into arrears over this period, it is sti…

Next Tuesday.

I wish to join colleagues in congratulating the 170 schools that were successful in their applications to the Safe Routes to School programme. It is a really welcome programme, to which there were over 900 applications. Indeed, one in four schools made an application, which shows that there is huge public interest and appetite for the programme. I want to congratulate all of the schools in Dublin Central that applied. Six were successful including St. Catherine's on Ratoath Road, Broombridge Educate Together, the C…

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for bringing forward this important legislation, which Fianna Fáil will be supporting. I commend the Minister. Taking office in a pandemic is not a light undertaking for anybody but since he took office and has had responsibility for housing, local government, local authorities, heritage and planning, he has demonstrated great insight and understanding into those matters, as well as commitment to supporting and strengthening them. This is another example of the Mini…

Next Tuesday.

I will be brief. I thank the Senators for all their compliments. I appreciated the unanimous support I received when I brought forward the first amendment. I also thank the Minister and his officials. They met with me since the Seanad last met to discuss this important legislative measure. Everybody agrees with the amendment. Nobody is disputing it. Everybody accepts that there is a requirement to have targets for affordable housing, and not just affordable housing but also social housing, cost-rental housing and p…

In this instance, they are.

I heard Senator Boyhan say he is lost. I want to help him find his way. I am genuinely concerned for him because I know he participates very actively in the joint committee on housing. I know he has the utmost respect and admiration for the Minister. I believe he understands that the intention of the Minister and the Government with this affordable housing Bill is to make housing affordable. I believe he understands that the reason the Government is legislating to make housing affordable is because it recognises ho…

-----does not do justice to the contributions you make. It does not. What we are doing with this legislation is legislating to make housing affordable to people on modest incomes.

What does Senator Warfield mean by "turnkey"? What does he define as "turnkey"?