The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is looking for a waiver of pre-legislative scrutiny of the residential tenancies Bill, in which he intends to extend the enhanced Covid protections for tenants in arrears, but it is not clear whether it will keep those protections for other tenants where they face eviction on grounds of sale or refurbishment. I have cited on numerous occasions here the plight of tenants in Dún Laoghaire who have always paid their rent. A ruthless vulture fund is moving to evict them immediately these restrictions are lifted. I am looking for clarity and appealing to the Taoiseach to ensure that the enhanced protections for tenants are not just on the grounds of arrears but are also maintained for others facing eviction in the context of the pandemic.

The legislation is very necessary because it will continue, as the Deputy says, enhanced protections for many tenants and has proven to be effective. That protection needs to be extended, and I will engage with the Minister in respect of his capacity to deal with issues Deputy Boyd Barrett has articulated, bearing in mind what is and is not legally possible. We want to get these protections extended, and it is necessary to get this legislation through because it is good legislation and has proven to be effective in protecting tenants in difficult situations.