I pay credit to the credit union movement because today is International Credit Union Day. I thank the movement personally because its members worked very closely with me in developing the micro-credit scheme. I hope its eventual outcome will be the closing down of what I call the legal money lenders who charge interest rates of up to 130% to many people in deprived areas who cannot access money elsewhere. The credit union movement played a key role in rolling out the micro-credit scheme which is worth €100 million as an anti-poverty strategy. It has been successful and I hope it will go from success to success.

Very often I have used the floor of the Seanad to criticise new politics and ask what it is. However, reading Fiach Kelly's article in The Irish Times this morning in which the Minister for Finance is quoted as saying he will adjust the help-to-buy plan, it is positive when a Government can see it has made a mistake and then start to make adjustments. However, several more adjustments need to be made to the help-to-buy scheme. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, wanted to attract people back to Ireland. Many people I know who emigrated want to come back to Ireland, but they will not be able to compete with other families in buying houses. They will be disadvantaged because they will not be able to get the tax benefits having worked abroad for many years.

The other element of the budget I ask the Leader to consider is the lack of any measure to benefit renters. While there have been tax cuts for landlords and an increase in the threshold under the rent-a-room scheme, there is absolutely nothing for people who are living in rental accommodation. They are paying rent increases of up to 25% and at the same time must try to save for a deposit on a home. They are hugely disadvantaged.

I welcome wholeheartedly the decision of An Bord Pleanála on Airbnb. Senator Denis Landy and I have highlighted this issue in the House over and over again. We have a housing crisis, in this city in particular. Some 2,000 apartments and homes have transferred to Airbnb. The decision by An Bord Pleanála means that the owners of these properties will have to obtain planning permission to rent their properties through Airbnb. Think of the impact if we were to bring forward a regulation to control Airbnb and could put the 2,000 units back into the rental market for people with families. This decision will have the single biggest impact on the rental market in the Dublin area, as well as in Cork and Galway, in dealing with the housing shortage. The Minister may bring forward new initiatives, but we are still leaking units at the other end. If we could bring the 2,000 units back into the long-term rental market, it would have a significant impact.

With regard to the debate on new politics, it is positive if Ministers listen and adjust and change, but there is an issue with Cabinet collective responsibility, a matter I have raised before in this House. I feel very strongly about the repeal of the eighth amendment and believe it should be repealed. However, a Cabinet decision has been made by all members of the Cabinet for the Government to take a particular line, that is, the Citizens' Assembly, which met last Sunday. Now we hear talk of Cabinet members seeking a free vote on the issue.

Should we abandon the concept of collective Cabinet responsibility so easily and without a proper debate and discussion? I urge caution. The vote has not been taken and they may vote. However, we really need to have that discussion. Perhaps it is good that we abolish the concept of collective Cabinet responsibility.

The Senator is well over time.

However, we should not do so blindly and without discussion.