Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We all welcome the introduction of Part 7A of the 2004 Act, which, at long last, sets out a process of invigilation that has been badly needed. I do not see why the Minister should not meet all of the reasonable requests for improvement of landlord and tenancy legislation from the advocacy sector. We met some of the approved housing bodies again this morning, namely, Co-operative Housing Ireland, Oaklee Housing and others when they made a presentation across the road from Leinster House on the improvements they seek. They want a system whereby they would be able to launch their own affordable housing programmes, which I hope the Minister will be in a position to support.

I do not see why we should not have verification by the RTB. Many of those present have dealt with issues arising from the RTB and the appalling way many long-standing tenants have been treated, even to the extent of getting awards of compensation for the manner in which they were evicted. There have been cases of landlords simply disappearing. In the Bill we have addressed some of the outrageous cowboy practices but verification is fair enough and I hope the Minister would go the extra couple of metres and make sure we do not have to return to the issue in the future.

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