Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, introduced it approximately two years ago. It has been very successful and effective in preventing evictions by giving the option of going to the seller and saying the council will buy the house, thereby enabling the person living there to continue as a tenant of the council. It has been very effective, with up to 1,800 approvals so far. I will get the most up-to-date figure.

The Government appointed the Housing Commission and tasked it with examining long-term housing policy. Of its 83 recommendations, 65 at varying stages of implementation, with some more advanced than others. Comprehensive consideration is being given to the recommendations. I am not sure whether the Deputy agrees with the commission's recommendations in respect of the rental market in terms of possibly changing the rent pressure zones, RPZs, and moving to a different system of reference areas. There would be some complexity to that but we will examine it. The Government, working with many in the Oireachtas, pushed for the RPZ system, which the Housing Commission has described as reactive. The political system, not just the Government, has been very anxious to intervene in the rental market on an ongoing basis. On a preliminary reading, it seems to me the Housing Commission is reflecting on that and suggesting the Oireachtas should maybe be less reactive. That is a debate we will have in the House.

Whereas everyone has focused on the highlight opening chapter of the Housing Commission's report, there has been precious little confirmation from anyone in the House as to whether they agree specifically with aspects of the report, particularly in respect of the rental market. I would be interested in parties opposite coming forward with substantive views on the substance of some of the recommendations, particularly in terms of the rental market.

Regarding a social housing Act, for example, that is not something that will happen overnight. We would have to examine again in detail what is envisaged. There was a comprehensive report. My understanding is that the Housing Commission does not believe local authority housing tenants should have a right of tenant purchase. The reason it has advanced for its position is that it wants to increase forever the provision of housing stock by local authorities. Under the current system, approximately 50% of social housing new builds are built by approved social housing bodies that do not allow for tenant purchase. I am not clear whether there is consensus within the Oireachtas that tenant purchase should be ruled out completely. We will examine that. I am sure there are nuances within the report and within the commission. It deserves comprehensive examination.

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