Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be very quick. On purpose-built student accommodation, the witness mentioned defining it. Deputy Ó Broin alluded to the fact there is absolute agreement among the Opposition that we want to see this in the Bill. We said to the Minister that if it is not in it, we will bring an amendment forward. There is a definition under section 13(d) of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016. That defines what purpose-built student accommodation is. I would see us potentially using that definition for purpose-built student accommodation.

I want to make one point on the deposit protection scheme, and I will not labour it. I am of the belief that further protections on deposits are needed. The Oireachtas has passed that legislation. While I understand the concerns of the witnesses with aspects of it, the Oireachtas has passed the legislation, so we have to see how we can work with that.

There are different models in Britain on that, where one has mydeposit.co.uk, for example. It is not necessarily saying that the RTB has to manage €100 million. I get the witnesses' point. I know what Ms Walsh is saying in the context of things being smaller but it is an issue out there. It is a concern, in particular when certain people ask for two or three months' deposit which is a substantial amount of money. I would like to see us moving towards that and I will be pressing the Minister on that issue.

I thank the witnesses for their contributions today which show that the work the RTB is going to do on the external workforce plan will be really important. We may have passed this legislation before the RTB has its plan, so what we, as a committee, will need is a commitment from the Department and the Minister that he will resource the RTB appropriately. If the RTB has not done that work, or if it does not have it back before we pass the Bill - the Minister wants it passed before the recess and I believe we are all in agreement to do our best to do that - I just want to make sure we do not have the cart before the horse and that the RTB is not left with the regulations and does not have the resources.