Tá dhá cheist agam, an chéad cheann faoi promised legislation to provide for rent certainty and another on the misuse of drugs (amendment) (No. 2) Bill, but before I come to them, I asked the Taoiseach earlier if the Government would formally recognise the Palestinian state in keeping with the motion of support which had been passed by the Oireachtas but on which the Government had failed to act. As it may have slipped his mind, I am giving him an opportunity to answer it now. It would send a clear signal if the Government acted on this important issue.

On the misuse of drugs (amendment) (No. 2) Bill, the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, is quoted as having said in a speech made in London that he was confident the Cabinet would agree to legislation that would allow for the provision of medically supervised injection centres for use by intravenous drug users. It is a source of wonderment for me why he goes to London to make these statements, but leaving that aside, he has also indicated his support for the decriminalisation of the personal use of small quantities of drugs. Has this matter been discussed by the Cabinet and when does the Taoiseach expect the misuse of drugs (amendment) (No. 2) Bill to be published?

On the issue of rent certainty, we were promised legislation. On 28 September the Minister involved, Deputy Alan Kelly, made such a commitment on the back of others. The Ceann Comhairle will know that since the Government took office, rents have increased by 35% but nothing has been done to tackle these increasingly unaffordable rates. He will also know that there are 1,500 children living in homeless accommodation in this city.

We are told the next election will be a choice between stability and chaos. How much chaos can a family put up with? What amount of chaos must there be in the Cabinet that it cannot settle its mind on such an urgent and important crisis issue? When will we see the Government’s emergency legislation to tackle homelessness? When will the Government publish its promised and proposed legislation on rent certainty?

I dealt with this before Deputy Adams came into the Chamber. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Government have done a great deal of work in respect of rough sleepers and homelessness in general. The HAP, housing assistance payment, regulations have been changed, along with proposals for modular housing, the return of voided units to habitable condition, targets set and moneys put in place with regard to over 200 sites opened around the country for social housing to deal with the fundamental issue of housing supply. The Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government are talking about several other immediate responses, as well as medium and long-term proposals. I hope they can conclude these discussions this week. If legislation is necessary out of that, the Government will obviously give it consideration. I will come back to the Deputy on the work that follows through in respect of the motion passed on Palestine and what it actually means.

The misuse of drugs (amendment) (no. 2) Bill is due for next year. However, there is a court case, the outcome of which I cannot determine, which may have a bearing on when this particular legislation may apply. We cannot do anything about it until that decision is made by the courts. The matter of legalising small quantities of heroin has not been discussed at Cabinet. In the past, there was reference to the supervision of needles for drug users but the question of the legalisation of small quantities of heroin for personal use has not been discussed.