I have met the soon-to-be former residents of the unauthorised structure on Liberty Lane, in Dublin 8, and I have spoken to the fire officers who checked out the place. They have very serious concerns about this unauthorised structure. Planning enforcement from Dublin City Council, DCC, has ordered it to be closed, and 27 people will be without homes in the week before Christmas. My question to the Taoiseach is what consequences in respect of criminal negligence there are for a landlord like Cathal Garrad, who rented this unauthorised structure to 27 tenants knowing that it was a fire danger? Will the State move against landlords who exploit the housing crisis to profiteer from it in this way in order to prevent anybody else doing what this landlord has done? If there are no consequences, why would others not follow suit?

The authorities are pursuing this matter. It was because of the local authority, in this case DCC, enforcing the legislation on fire safety that action has been taken to protect those who were in that unacceptable accommodation.

I asked about consequences for the landlord and criminal negligence.

The consequences are in the legislation, but it is a matter for the council to pursue that. I am not going to prejudice any potential case that may arise.