Rent and housing crisis legislation
Barry Cowen asked when housing and rent legislation would arrive and whether it would receive adequate scrutiny. The Taoiseach said the Residential Tenancies Bill would return from the Seanad before the end of November and planning legislation before the session ended.
Last week, the Taoiseach said there would be legislation before the House by the end of the month relating to proposals to deal with the rent and housing crisis. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government subsequently said it would be this week so could the Taoiseach clarify when this will be before the House and whether there will be adequate time to debate and scrutinise what is in it to make suggestions that could deal with this issue, which the Government has failed to do for the past 18 months?
Comment on this
I have already dealt with the question of rent. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 is before the Seanad. Amendments agreed by the Ministers for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Finance will be taken in the Seanad on Committee Stage and that Bill will come back here before the end of November. The second Bill raised by the Deputy relates to planning and will be brought before the House before it rises for the end of this session.