Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I take both recommendations. It is a valid point. We need to monitor, measure and continually adapt. If there are signs that retrofitting is leading to big rent increases, increased evictions or any other such measure, obviously we would have to adjust and see what can be done. It is right to start going into the rental sector, however, and make sure it is not left behind. We need to monitor and adjust as we do so. It is an iterative process. It is important to give a signal in the medium term.

One of the benefits of the carbon tax, as we discussed earlier, is that every year we know that money will increase, with an additional €89 million this year outside the budget process. That gives a signal to the industry that we are serious. It is important to give the signal to the rental sector that we are also going into that sector now and it should start gearing up to get ready to improve the properties. That is in everyone's interest.

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