Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We need to know what exactly is a "substantial change". It is an important point. I appreciate that a higher level of rent would be expected in the case of an old cottage that was in an almost uninhabitable state being done up. I accept that rent certainty might not apply in such a case. Believe it or not, there are places like this within the rent pressure zones.

Let us suppose a place is redecorated. In the ordinary market, that could well imply a price rise in terms of rent. Is there an exception under the rent certainty measures in the rent pressure zones? The Dáil is entitled to specific answers in that regard.

Let us hope this works. As colleagues have said, if this does not work, we have no time. We do not have Private Members’ time at the moment to bring forward legislation. This can be changed. It could not be changed this week. The Minister put the Fianna Fáil party in a bind. He said that if we did not accept it, the market would skyrocket. He was more than happy to do that with his Fine Gael colleagues in order for him to claim a political victory. That is fine. That is the way things are at present. However, if this does not work, it can be changed in the new year. I have no doubt that we will be to the fore in that regard. Like her colleagues, Deputy Bailey is smiling and the newspapers are reporting the glee among those on the Fine Gael benches. However, there is no glee among rental households. What we are doing is better than the alternative put before the Dáil yesterday morning, which was to the effect that this was off the table. It may be the better outcome this week, but it may not be the ideal outcome when the Dáil returns in the middle of January. There will be an opportunity to change it then. I will certainly be advocating for that if it does not work out to our expectations.

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