For a year we have been awaiting Government legislation to protect tenants and to beef up the Residential Tenancies Board. The latest move from landlords is to charge non-refundable so-called viewing fees; we have actually drafted a Bill to deal with that practice. Rent pressure zones have been in place for nearly two years, but we are still waiting on laws to allow the Residential Tenancies Board to enforce the 4% increases. The Labour Party and others have proposed significant amendments to Bills to cap rents and restrict the capacity to evict tenants. There have also been Bills to provide rent certainty for students in student accommodation. When will the Government finally publish the residential tenancies amendment Bill? Will it include provision to ban the practice of charging so-called booking deposits or non-refundable viewing fees for rentals?

I thank the Deputy for the question. The delay with the legislation was not at our end but in the Oireachtas because a number of Bills were before it and there was filibustering that did not allow us time to get the legislation into the Dáil when we wanted to. The committee also looked for pre-legislative scrutiny when we did not think that was necessary. Notwithstanding those delays, the legislation is ready to be published. A number of additional elements will be introduced by way of amendment on Committee Stage.

When?

Very soon.