Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to compliment the staff, especially those in the Intreo offices in Bishop Street and Cork Street. I have had extensive engagement with them. I know they have been working hard and effectively in difficult circumstances and I am keen to acknowledge that.

An issue of concern to me arose early on Monday morning when a landlord arrived in with a crew of men and dismantled a small storage area of a coffee shop in Ranelagh. The landlord threw all the products and stock out onto the footpath. It is worth recording that the coffee shop has been really generous in offering those over 65 years and front-line workers free coffee.

The shop in question, Nick's Coffee, is an integral part of the community. We cannot let ourselves become a society where this sort of behaviour becomes acceptable. One must ask how any human can carry out those sorts of actions in a health crisis when everybody is struggling. It seems big landlords are being prioritised over the local economy, which is a real concern for people.

Our economy will be a long time recovering if landlords are going to behave in this way. It is in everybody's interest that we work together and the Government must intervene to stop landlords acting like this. Something must be done to ensure landlords cannot do this. In the George's Street Arcade, the landlord has a number of tenants but has given comfort to them. Landlords can work with commercial tenants and be sensible about it. It is a credit to landlords in the George's Street Arcade that this is being done.

Does the Minister condemn the actions of the landlord in question, as it is important to state clearly that the Government will not accept this sort of behaviour? Assuming the Minister will condemn the action, will she consider bringing forward measures to give protection to commercial tenants like that? I ask her to bring forward legislation that will afford commercial tenants the same protection that residential tenants have. Is that something she is considering?

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