Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To families who have lost a loved one, I want to send our condolences. We need to commend front-line staff, such as nurses, doctors, catering staff, porters and cleaners. We also have to remember the people who are bringing food and medical necessities around the country, such as lorry drivers and the haulage sector, as well as those who are keeping water, electricity and shops going. The student nurse issue has to be addressed urgently because we are in a crisis and it is a totally different Ireland to six weeks ago.

I welcome much of the legislation. On the planning side, councils need to keep prioritising houses rather than the building of hotels, which are not needed at the moment. Many council staff can work from home and it is welcome that the decisions on building hotels can be left for a while.

The Bill gives emergency powers to the Minister to make decisions. I have put forward an amendment, given Bord na Móna cannot work this year unless the Minister makes a direct intervention. It was agreed that it would work until the end of this year but, unless the Minister makes an intervention in the next couple of days, it will not be able to work and will have to close down. That is the reality.

With regard to rent, it is nearly like going to sleep for six months. We need to make sure that renters are not put under pressure. I believe the banks have to put what is due at the end of the mortgage term for landlords. Bodies like the Residential Tenancies Board and the banks need to be a joined-up circle with the landlords, with everyone together to make sure no one is shafting anybody else.

While the issue of students may not come directly under this Department, it is involved. With regard to rent, there are students who paid in the first week of January for accommodation for the rest of the academic year but they are not now in college. There are landlords who are ringing up students, looking for the last two months' rent. Issues like this have to be sorted out.

I welcome many of the measures in the Bill. Fair play to the police in the North, who have brought in a thug who spat at somebody. It is about time. Such people should be brought before the courts as it is disgusting what they are doing. They need to be dealt with, and dealt with hard in this country.

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