Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept that interpretation. The protection is in the words "the rent last set" in amendment No. 3A. What we are trying to do here is keep tenants in their properties and to ensure that when they are facing rent reviews they can predict the maximum that may be possible in terms of a rental increase. We are providing for that. There was an unintended consequence which we are correcting whereby if a person in a rent pressure zone had been in a tenancy for the last two years and was due a rent review, there was a danger that the interpretation meant that a landlord could look for an 8% increase because it was 4% per year. We have changed that because of the issues that were raised. We are correcting it in a way that is consistent with what happens when one needs to correct a drafting error on Report Stage. We have reverted back to Committee Stage to talk through that issue. I think I have provided clarity in relation to that. I do not think there is -----

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