Except water.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The rationale for the Eviction Ban Bill 2022 is as simple as it is urgent. If we do not strengthen and extend the ban on evictions, we are going to see an absolute avalanche of families, individuals and children going into homelessness over the next number of months. That is an unacceptable situation when we already have 11,600 individuals, including children, in emergency accommodation. We have no more emergency accommodation left and there are no alternatives for…

Thus, it is the same as the Covid one.

Where?

I did not.

I thank those who have contributed to the discussion on our Eviction Ban Bill. I will respond briefly to some of the points made, particularly by the Government, the Rural Independent Group and one or two other Members. They stated that we do not acknowledge there are reasons landlords are exiting the market. The reason why landlords are exiting the market is because house prices are at an all-time high and they are cashing in on all-time high prices. Is that just a general assertion? Let me give an example. I got …

I certainly will. By the way, we have written to the Ministers on these cases. There is also Jackie and her family who I have mentioned again and again. They were in court-----

Okay. We have written successively on these cases to the Ministers and all we get are acknowledgements. That is what we get - we get acknowledgements. Will the Government extend purchase in situ to people over the thresholds who cannot afford the rent? Jackie and her husband, who are working, with their kids always paid the rent and did nothing wrong. Since they got their first notice to quit, they are not covered by the existing ban, which speaks to the point made by the Minister of State, who said the ban would b…

No, we are not. My contribution was not way over time.

You are too late.

The rules are the rules.

You did not actually say it. Nobody said it.

It can be amended slightly for that.

But you should justify the six months because there is no justification.

This is the Government trying to pull a fast one. Some of us will be in the Chamber for the entire time between now and when that debate starts. If we and many of the leaders are here, how on earth can we try to deal with Taoiseach's Questions and immediately after that, deal with a motion we have not seen and on which we will have no opportunity to submit amendments? That is completely pulling a fast one. It is undemocratic and is gameplaying by the Government. It should withdraw this motion and put it back in, as…

There is no time to put down amendments.

I will be in here for Taoiseach's Questions.

I want to return to the issue of the mother and baby home redress scheme. As the Taoiseach is aware, I was adopted and I spent an uncertain amount of time in a mother and baby home. I am acutely aware that the vast majority of adoptions, where mother and child were separated, were a result of the stigma and pressure that was put by a frankly twisted morality of church and State about children being born outside wedlock or mothers becoming pregnant outside wedlock. How much time was spent in that regard, in terms of…

Pretty much everybody from the right, the left and the centre is now acknowledging that the housing crisis we are facing in this country, the lack of affordable accommodation, is now a very serious threat to the country's economic development. The eviction ban Bill, which thankfully the Government decided not to oppose this morning and which might progress, is a very small piece in that puzzle of trying to stop more people going into the horrendous situation of being homeless, but much more needs to be done. The pr…

I wish to ask the Taoiseach about something tangentially connected to the issue of nursing home charges. The overcharging of people has been discussed as a historical issue, but I came across a case this week of something that I suspect is much more widespread. I refer to a couple I met who are on the fair deal scheme and both of whom are in receipt of the State pension. The wife is in a nursing home and is supposed to give over 80% of her income. These people do not have any more than that. The nursing home is imp…