Mr. Paul Lemass:

On the question of MABS, we consulted with the Department of Social Protection regarding bringing MABS into the loop on the whole question of rental arrears. Both the Department and MABS were very supportive of this and the ongoing engagement between them. The RTB has a memorandum of understanding with MABS, so it is a managed process. I accept the Deputy's point that there may be a two to three week delay, which may not be unreasonable in some circumstances. However, the point of this legislation is that a tenant would have to contact the landlord with a view to working out an arrangement. As part of that contact, it would be entirely reasonable for the tenant to say that he or she is engaging with MABS as part of that process, and that he or she will conclude the arrangement with the landlord after he or she has engaged with MABS. MABS could point a tenant in this situation towards rent supplements, for example, and uptake in this support has increased by around 10,000 - I do not have the exact figure, but it is of that order - since the Covid pandemic began.