Since coming into office, I have identified this issue as one on which I want to see progress. The heads of the Bill cannot be drafted until the discussions are completed within the confines of the subcommittee of the conciliation and arbitration scheme. That means discussing with the representative organisations and hearing their concerns, and that is ongoing. It makes sense for us to facilitate those discussions but I do not believe they can go on and on. It is an important aspect of recruitment and retention. We…

We proposed and we passed emergency planning before Christmas and Sinn Féin voted against it.

Then they come in today and argue for it. That is a fact. Sinn Féin voted and objected against almost all of our proposals.

If I could say to the Deputy, we are implementing measures to deal with the issue of homelessness-----

-----in terms of the in situ scheme, in terms of the leasing and in terms of cost rental measures.

We already have initiated that scheme some time ago and in terms of interacting with local authorities and directing local authorities, in the event of any eviction notices in respect of homes that the councils buy those.

The resources are being made available. I have dealt with cases in the past-----

-----and I have resolved them working with local authorities.

What the Deputies are proposing, they are basically saying-----

They are basically saying what we are doing today, they would do in a couple of months' time. That is what they are saying. They just said it.

They would do it not at the end of December as they were originally proposing two weeks ago but at the end of January. All Sinn Féin will do is make the situation worse. The Deputy said to me earlier he is not arguing with my basic proposition that an indefinite extension----

A Cheann Comhairle, I wanted to finish the sentence but I was interrupted.

The bottom line is this. An indefinite extension of an eviction ban will make matters worse and will exacerbate the homelessness situation. The Deputy agreed with me four or five minutes ago when I said that and he said he was not arguing with that proposition.

Creideann an Rialtas go bhfuil géarchéim ann ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta de, ach is é an difríocht idir an Rialtas agus an Fhreasúra ná go bhfuil plean cuimsitheach ag an Rialtas. Is léir go bhfuil dul chun cinn le feiceáil-----

-----leis an méid tithe atá tar éis a bheith tógtha go dtí seo. Tá sé sin soiléir leis an dul chun cinn a bhí le feiceáil anuraidh i gcomhthéacs cúrsaí tithíochta sa tír seo. The Deputy made a comment as she was articulating her position about the rental market. I think she said it was in free-fall or whatever. I would respectfully say to her that if we keep on demonising landlords-----

I did not interrupt, I did not say the Labour Party Deputies had.

Through the Chair, can I say that it should be a fundamental part of parliamentary democracy-----

-----that when one side hears the other side without interruption, that the facilitation is responded to. What I want to say is this.

The Sinn Féin party has demonised landlords from the get-go and let us not pretend otherwise.

That is the bottom line. If I may say the following-----