Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and his staff for their briefings and the support they have given us during this pandemic. I wish them all well in their endeavours and I echo the support for the front-line staff. I reiterate what Deputy Naughten stated earlier about the behaviour of certain people, which I had referred to in my opening contribution. Such behaviour is shocking and should not be tolerated. If the law needs to be expanded, we should do that when we sit again next week, although we should have considered doing it this week because such actions should be nipped in the bud and got rid of. Spitting at somebody is a dirty, rotten habit at the best of times but to do it now is wholly unacceptable and must not be tolerated.

What measures are in place, or might be put in place, for someone in the following circumstances? A landlord has an existing mortgage on the house and is letting it to a tenant. As the landlord, the property owner's job is still in place and, therefore, she is not entitled to the mortgage holiday the banks are offering. Her private tenant, however, who contacted my office, has lost her job. Even with the pandemic unemployment payment, she has experienced a significant loss of income and is unable to pay rent. The landlord, on the other hand, still has her job, which may be a one-off house she inherited or whatever. There are many such cases. As she cannot qualify for the mortgage freeze, she cannot pass on the savings to help the tenant.

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