Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

When I address the legal considerations, I will then deal with the practical side of the equation. At the core of the Bill is an attempt to impose a substantial restriction on private property rights, since one of its key objectives is to effect a change in the amount of rent which has been agreed as a result of a contractual arrangement which has been freely entered into by the relevant parties. In this context, rent from commercial premises is undeniably property for the purposes of the relevant provisions of the Constitution. Lest the Deputy is in doubt about the matter, I again refer to Articles 40 and 43 of the Constitution.

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