Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill but it is like making a foundation out of crêpe paper. It is a bit weak. It does not go far enough and Sinn Féin's amendments, of which there are plenty, would certainly strengthen it. What the people want is security, especially in this current Covid climate. Security of six weeks is insulting. We need to give renters a break. We are coming up to Christmas and people are very worried and scared at the moment. The Government is giving out a pittance by telling them they will be safe for six weeks. That is not going to be very encouraging for people. We need to help give people a quality of life. People need to feel safe. Families have lost their jobs due to Covid and for the Government to come out and insult people after what we just witnessed here is very thin. Hallowe'en has been cancelled and that is going to be the spirit of Christmas. People are entitled to change their minds.

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