Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I will come to that point. The other point is, obviously, that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, will be in the House tonight to explain in detail the Government's position on this matter, and the situation. Obviously, his argumentation will incorporate the advice available to Government in the matter. Were all of these matters legally possible they could be considered, but they are not legally possible in the context of the Constitution and property rights, as I have outlined.

In addition to the retrospection issue, concerns have been raised about the ability of tenants to obtain reliable and comprehensive information in the context of the rent review process. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has established a working group to examine the adequacy of the information available to parties in the context of the commercial rent reviews.

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