As we all will be aware, the housing crisis is continuing unabated.

From what the Tánaiste has said to us in recent times, it is unlikely to be seriously tackled in the very near future. The Government has promised a landlord and tenant Bill to address and consolidate the law in the area of private rented accommodation. That is one of the areas that is exacerbating the difficulties at present. Could the Taoiseach tell us when precisely it is intended to bring forward that legislation because if the Government is truly prioritising housing, then this is part of the scheme of legislation that needs to be brought forward to address it?

I cannot tell the Deputy precisely when the Bill will come but I can tell him that the Government continues not just to make this a priority in terms of housing, but to put money on the table to make it become a reality. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl is well aware of the pressure in his area in terms of the demand for housing and it cannot be addressed until people start to build houses, and there are conditions and regulations that apply in that regard. The Government has put money in place for social and affordable housing and is encouraging the industry to build proper housing for people given the serious demand for it. I will come back to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl with dates in respect of the proposed legislation.