Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy O'Donoghue. The committee has applied itself diligently to pre-legislative scrutiny on all the Bills which have come before it. It is the timely and urgent manner of this Bill, however, that is a concern. I want to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on legislation. That is our job. I totally agree with Deputy O'Donoghue on that. However, there is a time constraint and an urgency with this Bill. It is my belief, as Chair of the committee, that if we try to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on this, then the amount of time involved will result in current legislation protecting tenants expiring and the new legislation will not be introduced in time. I do not want us to risk that.

I agree with Deputy O'Donoghue that all legislation should go through scrutiny. This legislation will be scrutinised in the Dáil and the Seanad. We may not carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on the general heads of the Bill. However, that will be a decision for the committee. I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan.