Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Hayden, I welcome the visitors to the Visitors Gallery. All the amendments were discussed at length on Committee Stage. I compliment Senator Hayden, as chair of Threshold, who has fought the good fight for the rental sector in general. I welcome in particular all the various amendments we have dealt with at length on Committee Stage and which will make improvements for the rented sector. I would mention a few of them. The increase in the minimum requirement notice that a landlord must give a tenant from 28 days to 90 days is a big improvement which will give more certainty to tenants. The requirement of landlords to furnish tenants with information on their rights, the avenues for appeal to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, the measures regarding the over-holding of rent payment and the custodial deposit scheme will all bring certainty to this sector.

It is said in Ireland that people like to have a field and to have ownership of property but increasingly, more people have to rent in view of the situation regard the banks and the availability of mortgages. All the amendments are welcome and will make tenancy a secure environment for tenants. I would point to the amendments that allow the Private Residential Tenancy Board to make determination orders to go to the District rather than the Circuit Court. Clarification notice for termination means that those who rent are not forced to live in an environment of tension and uncertain safety. Provision is also made for a swifter response in terms of an anti-social behaviour element. A multitude of noteworthy amendments were agreed, the detail of which I do not have the time to go into, which will make the process more effective for tenants and provide them with certainty.

I attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht earlier at which the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government laid out in detail the provisions that are being made for the delivery of social housing to bring 17,000 houses onstream. That is a priority for the three Ministers who were in attendance at that meeting. They all spoke about what they are going to do in this area. Reference was made to €923 million in terms of housing provision in 2016 that will deliver more than 17,000 new units in 2016. That will make a huge improvement. I look forward to that and to the inclusion of all those amendments in this legislation which will improve the position for tenants.