Will the eviction ban be kept in place or will it be lifted? I have been listening to you guys all week on this, speaking on the one hand and on the other hand. The Government has said it is speaking to the Attorney General. I know how to read between the lines. It is pretty clear that the Government is leaning towards lifting the eviction ban next week or the week after. Should it choose to do so it will be an act of political extremism and free-market extremism on the part of the Government. We know that since last Friday record numbers are in emergency accommodation. Record numbers of children are also in emergency accommodation. Any public representative with eyes and ears knows a large number of people will be out the door reasonably quickly after such a ban is lifted. This will raise numbers to the highest level ever in the history of the State. I doubt the emergency accommodation services will be able to cope with that.

Time is up please.

We could see a situation by the summer whereby people will be presenting to Garda stations pleading for a place for themselves and their children to stay overnight.

Will you please respect the fact that your time is up?

We should have no political extremism here. Keep the eviction ban in place.

In terms of housing policy, plans and resources the Government is the biggest actor, player and provider of resources in the housing market. That is a long way from the so-called free market extremism that Deputy Barry is asserting and labelling the Government with. The opposite is the case. The Government is providing record numbers of social housing. Last year we built close to 30,000 houses. The Government is supporting affordable housing, cost rental and Croí Cónaithe. Think of all the various schemes from social to affordable.

The ban.

I want to nail Deputy Barry's sloganeering and I am entitled to do that. Deputy Barry started it. He said "extremism" and I am entitled to come back on it.

On the ban.

The Government is considering the eviction ban and will examine it. Why will we do this? It is because we want to make sure that whatever we do does not make the situation worse. Deputy Barry is not worried about this because what he is worried about is how he can label the Government again in six months' time if the situation is much worse because of the decisions we take.

Time is up Tánaiste, thank you.

We are going to look at this seriously----

Oh God. Time is up please.

-----in terms of protecting people as best we can and making sure we do not have a continuing exodus from the rental market that would mean fewer houses to give to people and to rent to people.

Those are the issues that we have to consider.

There you go.