I let you speak and as usual-----

I let you speak but you will not let me speak.

It is a democracy. I know you do not really believe in this type of democracy but it is a democracy. What we are doing here is putting in very important legislation to bring consistency to social housing qualification and homelessness in this country. I believe it will help to bring clarity right across the country and will help people, in some cases, who are not getting their rights met by having this level of consistency and guidance that we have provided from the Department.

This refers to reasonable offers of accommodation, so it is not any offer. It is about turning down a reasonable offer of accommodation. It is up to the local authority to ensure that appropriate and safe emergency accommodation is provided, and for people like that woman in particular. I know the Deputy likes to absolve the local authority of any responsibility whatsoever for anything but it is up to the local authority to ensure appropriate emergency accommodation is provided. The local authorities are well funde…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, line 11, after “hearings” to insert “, and the determination of disputes,”. Amendments Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, are technical drafting amendments to ensure that the Long Title of the Bill more accurately describes the content and purpose of the Bill, taking account of the Government amendments since publication. The Bill provides for procedures for the determination of disputes by the RTB and the enforcement of such determinations, increases the penalties for summary convictions fo…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 12, after “Board” to insert “, and the enforcement of such determinations”.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, lines 12 and 13, to delete “to increase the penalties for certain offences under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004” and substitute the following: “to increase the penalties for summary offences and to provide for the service of fixed payment notices in respect of certain offences under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004”.

I move: "That the Bill be recommitted in respect of amendments Nos. 5 and 25."

I move amendment No. 5: In page 5, line 13, after “2004;” to insert “to provide that the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 shall not apply to certain dwellings;”. Amendment No. 5 is a technical drafting amendment to ensure the Long Title of the Bill more accurately describes the content and purpose of the Bill, taking account of amendment No. 25, which proposes to insert a new section into the Bill to disapply the 2024 Act in respect of detached auxiliary dwellings that are developed as exempted development under the …

We are not talking about stand-alone properties. These properties are on the land and the curtilage of the homeowner. The renter shares all the services with the homeowner, including the driveway and the water and electricity facilities coming in. We already do this with the rent-a-room scheme. People can rent a room under licence in a homeowner's property. The residences we are discussing will likewise be on a homeowner's property. Such a building is considered an extension, albeit a detached one. It does not have…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “PART 2 AMENDMENTS TO HOUSING ACT 1988 Interpretation ( Part 2 ) 4 .In this Part, "Act of 1988" means the Housing Act 1988.".

I move amendment No. 9: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 1 of Act of 1988 Section 1 of the Act of 1988 is amended by the insertion of the following definition: “ 'Act of 2009' means the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009,".".[ ]

I move amendment No. 10: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 10 of Act of 1988 6. Section 10 of the Act of 1988 is amended— (a) in subsection (1), by the substitution of “A housing authority may, subject to section 10A and to such regulations” for “A housing authority may, subject to such regulations”, (b) in subsection (8)— (i) in paragraph (a)(ii), by the substitution of “own resources,” for “own resources, or”, (ii) by the insertion of the following paragraphs after p…

I move amendment No. 11: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Insertion of new sections 10A and 10B in Act of 1988 7. The Act of 1988 is amended by the insertion of the following new sections after section 10: “Residency requirements 10A. (1) A person shall not be eligible to access arrangements, assistance or accommodation provided by a housing authority by virtue of section 10(1) unless the authority, having carried out an assessment, is satisfied that the person, and any person who normall…

I move amendment No. 21: In page 14, line 14, to delete “shall” and substitute “shall be in writing and shall”.

Supporting individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness is an absolute priority for me, my Department and Government. I welcome the committee's focus on this important area. Indeed, many of the recommendations put forward are addressed in our new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, and are being progressed by my Department in collaboration with other Departments, local authorities and their service delivery partners. The report calls for a greater focus on preventi…

We take the report very seriously and are giving it very serious consideration. Many of the recommendations in it are already in place or are being put in place. We are treating this as an emergency. I have already outlined many of the measures we are taking to make sure we address the situation where we have a very high level of homelessness. One person in homelessness is one too many. We have a very high number in emergency accommodation - I acknowledge that. That is why we need to do even more. I am treating it …

We are dealing with it as an emergency response. Last year, we saw a 20% increase in housing delivery overall and the highest number of social houses built in a single year in the history of the State. We are putting in record funding to address the housing crisis. Many of the measures highlighted in the report are already in the process of being implemented. I would remind the Deputy that, in his own housing plan, he proposes winding down the tenant in situ scheme – something he conveniently forgets every time he …

The Deputy is very fond of referring to the Famine. The Famine was a genocide in this country. A million people died and a million people had to leave the country yet the Deputy makes a political football out of it and uses it to come in here to engage in cheap political point scoring. It is very hard to take him seriously when that is the level to which he descends in order to make a political point instead of making a coherent, informed policy point or argument. We are putting in record funding to address the hou…

There will be much stronger tenant protections as well. For those who are in tenancies at the moment, both tenant and landlord entered into an agreement under what was the law at the time. They understood the law on both sides and they entered into a contract on that basis. That is the reason we are not making those changes. The Deputy tries to have it both ways when he comes in here. He criticises the changes that were made and then he criticises that they not being applied to the past. As I said, we have brought …