Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some of my questions have been covered by Deputy O'Brien, so I will not repeat them. I want to make it very clear that we have indicated to the Minister that we are very supportive of the principle of the residential tenancies (amendment) Bill 2018. I think most members of this committee have said we would like to assist the Minister in having it proceed as speedily as possible. Given the current state of things, it is unusual that we are in such agreement, but it is to be welcomed.

Like Deputy O'Brien, I would like to know whether there are any additions to this Bill that the RTB would like us to consider in the tight timeframe that is in front of us between now and the recess. We discussed the timeline with departmental officials when they appeared before this committee at an earlier stage. I suggested to them that even if we pass this legislation by the summer, the need to issue the regulations, allocate additional resources and deal with the RTB's IT issues means that in real terms, it is likely to be January or February of 2019 before the RTB is able to act on this legislation. I ask the witnesses to confirm if that is the case. Can they talk us through the rationale for that? Can they share with the committee some of the issues with which they are contending in respect of IT interfaces?

I ask the witnesses to give us a little detail on the level of resourcing the RTB will need if these new powers are to be effective. Can they tell us, without putting themselves in a difficult position, whether they have had any conversations with the Minister or with officials in the Department about resource allocation? Obviously, that would be a matter for the budget. If the Opposition needs to lobby for additional resources between now and the budget, we will be happy to do so. It would be better if we were in a position to do it on the basis of what is actually required.

Like a number of Deputies, I am looking at potential amendments to this Bill to include things that are not covered in the heads of the Bill at present. We have had a significant discussion on the need to have student licences covered by the rent pressure zones. The Dáil passed a Bill without opposition from the Government that proposes to include student licences of some form under the rent pressure zones and under the RTB more generally. The Bill in question received unanimous support on the Opposition benches. Do the witnesses have a view on it? I understand that some student cases might be in front of the RTB at present. Are the witnesses in a position to comment on any of that?

We also had a very significant debate in 2016, when the rent pressure zones were being introduced, on changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to limit the number of families receiving vacant possession notices to quit from buy-to-let landlords to try to stem the flow of families into homelessness. The Focus Ireland amendment, as it was called, was a specific restriction in order that landlords who had bought properties during the boom with buy-to-let tax break mortgages would not be able to issue a vacant possession notice to quit when selling that property. They could sell it but with the tenantin situ. Do the delegates have a view on that or other measures that could be taken, through amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act or this legislation, that could assist us in deaing with the homelessness crisis?

Are the delegates in a position to say anything about the index they have just given to us? I invite them to say a little about it, following which I might have another short supplementary question for them.