Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I want to put some questions about pharmacies myself before the end of my time. While I broadly accept the requirement for this legislation, it is useful for us to be clear about what we are talking about when talking about the rent-a-room scheme. While it is good that we are encouraging people to make the best use of their homes, we are also encouraging a system where people are not in any way covered by the legislation that usually protects renters. There are no minimum physical standards the property must comply with and there is no legal requirement for the landlord to provide the tenant with a rent book. The restrictions on rent increases on other private rental accommodation do not apply. The landlord can end the tenancy at any time. If there is a complaint, it is not covered by the RTB. Tenants are not covered by the Equal Status Acts, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender or civil status. The rent can be increased without restriction and the tenant's only option is to negotiate with the landlord. We are promoting something and through this legislation we are locking it in. I know it is not an issue for the Department of Health but it is important to read into the record how utterly unprotected people are when they rent a room. By locking that down further in legislation like this, we are accepting that that is the standard but across the EU, that is not the standard. The EU has a two-tier version of renters' rights whereby if a tenant is living with somebody in their owner-occupied home, they also have rights.

In Ireland one has zero rights, is in no way protected and there are no minimum standards. One can see that from the quality of some of the homes which, particularly students, are living in at the moment. It is important to put that on the record.

I want to focus, however, on some of the expansion issues, or the proposals for expansion. I am interested in that idea around the further work which is happening on the serious shortage of protocols because I know that has been in operation in the UK for four years, or has it?