I was not laughing. The Opposition is laughing.

The Opposition is laughing.

Does that include those from the Opposition?

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this Bill. However, the Government will be opposing it. Aside from its technical and practical operational shortcomings, it would in all likelihood quickly face significant risk of legal challenge and is likely to have a severely detrimental effect on the supply of much-needed rental property. The Government is acutely aware that rents are very high in many areas as a result of pent-up pressures and supply constraints. The most effective way to assist renters is to increase…

-----but they are putting forward no solutions. At least they are consistent in one thing: object, object, object.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: “PART 1 PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL Short title, collective citation, construction, and commencement 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022. (2) The Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2021 and Part 2 may be cited together as the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2022 and they shall be construed together as one. (3) The Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 and Part 3 m…

I will comment briefly on a few points. I hope our dealings in the context of the Maritime Area Planning Act demonstrate that I have listened to the Opposition. We took a series of amendments from the Opposition, withdrew some amendments and came back on Report Stage with further amendments in consultation with the Opposition. I firmly put that on the record. We have listened today in terms of our withdrawal of amendment No. 25 due to concerns raised. Deputy Matthews rightly articulated those concerns. I did not sa…

I have shown my evidence already. By withdrawing an amendment, I was making that very clear to the House. I have no issue if we proceed and go through each amendment. That is the way we should go forward.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "PART 2 AMENDMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACT 2000". This amendment inserts the wording regarding Part 2 of the principal Act. Amendment No. 3 provides an additional definition to the definition of "Principal Act" to mean the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the definition of "Board" to mean An Bord Pleanála that "Minister" means the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: “ “Minister” means the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage;”.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 3, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 3A of Principal Act 2. Section 3A of the Principal Act is amended— (a) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (1): “(1A) A person shall not, during the relevant period, advertise or cause the advertisement of a relevant property for short term letting purposes, or enter into any arrangement in respect of a relevant property for short term letting purposes, unless the use of the relevant…

The first amendment proposed by Deputy Cian O'Callaghan relates to the penalties that should be applicable to non-compliance with the proposed new short-term letting provisions. What is essentially proposed is that the penalties to be applied should be a class A fine with the term of imprisonment being increased to up to 12 months on summary conviction and up to two years on conviction on indictment. As I outlined in my remarks on the Government amendment on this point, it is proposed that the penalties to be appli…

To respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett, in my opening remarks on this amendment I clearly outlined the rationale for the six months as a bridging mechanism and said it would be extended by a positive resolution by both Houses of the Oireachtas should the Fáilte Ireland online registration system not be up and running. It is a bridging provision and, hopefully, by the end of the six months, the Fáilte Ireland registration system will be ready. Second, the planning authority adjudicates on planning and it makes the determ…

Yes.

Yes.

Absolutely. That is the intention.

I move amendment No. 7: In page 3, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “ Amendment of section 31 of Principal Act 3. Section 31 of the Principal Act is amended- (a) in subsection (3), by the substitution of “section 31AM(8) or 31AO(7)” for “section 31AN(9) or 31AP(9)”, (b) in subsection (4)(b), by the deletion of “, in the case of a plan,”, (c) in subsection (8), by the substitution of “, the Minister and, where relevant, the regional assembly concerned” for “and the Minister”, and (d) by the substitu…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 3, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 31AM of Principal Act 4. Section 31AM of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (2)(b), by the substitution of "consistency of the development plan with the National Planning Framework" for "consistency with the development plan and the National Planning Framework", and (b) in subsection (5)(c), by the substitution of "of a development plan" for "in a development plan".".

I move amendment No. 9: In page 3, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 31AN of Principal Act 5. Section 31AN of the Principal Act is amended— (a) by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (2): "(2) As soon as practicable after a statement has been prepared under subsection (1)(b), the Minister shall cause a copy of it to be sent to the Office, the planning authority concerned and, where relevant, the regional assembly concerned and the Office and that authori…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 3, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: "Amendment of section 31AO of Principal Act 6. Section 31AO of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (7)(i) by the substitution of "as amended by the planning authority" for "as varied by the planning authority".".