Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, was last in front of this House, he talked about a package worth about €0.5 billion to assist in dealing with the rates funding crisis. We have since learned that half of that money is not guaranteed to offset the rates cost because the local authority start-up grant will not be required to be used to offset rates, either through a waiver or a direct payment by the relevant businesses. This means there is already a shortfall from what we were originally told about. No member of the Government has talked to us about the non-rates revenue shortfall. Could the Minister of State speak about those two enormous concerns? Managers have to manage their budgets for the year prudently, but if they do not have funding certainty by July or August, they will have to consider cutting services so they will not have to front-load all the losses into 2021.

With respect to planning, it is very disappointing that no extension of the consultation period for live planning permissions has been announced. I acknowledge there have been some but there clearly needs to be a further extension in line with the Government's exit plan. Could the Minister of State give us an update on that?

Planning applications are still being received for co-living developments, a style of housing that was certainly not suitable before Covid-19 and is definitely not suitable now, with its 9 sq. m of personal living space and with 40 people sharing communal kitchens and other areas. Could the Minister of State give us an update on whether he is willing to review that?

I echo other Deputies' calls regarding renters. Perhaps this could be raised with the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. Renters urgently need clarity. They need to know whether the Government is going to extend the moratorium on evictions, notices to quit and rent increases. We also need to hear from the Minister’s colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Ms Regina Doherty, because the emergency rent supplement payment is due to expire at the end of this week, on Sunday. It also needs to be extended. We urgently need additional funding for homelessness day services. I am aware the Minister of State cannot answer those questions but I would appreciate it if he could communicate them to his senior Minister.

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