Mr. Paul Joyce:

The buy-to-let situation is obviously slightly different in that the borrower is a landlord. It has knock-on effects in terms of homelessness. Focus Ireland and a number of other housing organisations have pointed out that much of the rising problem of homelessness they are seeing is down to the eviction of tenants in buy-to-let properties.

In the context of the Deputy's Bill it is more difficult. Who would prevent the sale of the loan? Would the tenant have the right to object to the sale of the loan? As it is not his or her loan, it is slightly different.