Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are already a lot of tenants' rights and there will be more. We have the rent pressure zones, compulsory purchase orders and fast-track planning and we have had eviction bans. There has been no constitutional bar on doing any of that. Private property rights in Ireland are subject to the common good so I think the question is misframed. What is it that a housing amendment would allow us to do that we cannot do already? That is a different question because it is very clear we have been able to do all of those things within the existing constitutional framework.

In relation to the referendum on gender equality, I recognise the committee for the very good work that it did. I had a chance to read the report in full in the past few months and I was pleased to see we were given different options for the wording for the referendum. The matter is with the Attorney General at the moment. There has been some engagement with NGOs recently around the best timing for that referendum as well. I want to make sure we are properly prepared for it. It will probably require two amendments, one in relation to equality and another in relation to care. That is probably where it will land but we hope to bottom that out in the next few weeks.

In relation to the referendum on water, we do not have a date for it yet. It is committed to but I want to give everyone reassurance that there are no plans whatsoever to sell off or privatise Irish Water. It is not the policy of any party in this House and in any case it is prevented by legislation.

To respond to Deputy McAuliffe, we anticipate the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Policy will report by the end of the year, thus allowing us to consider its recommendations in early 2024.

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