Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will address that issue which was also raised by Senator Mulherin. We reached agreement in budget 2019 that there would be a scheme. When I was in County Donegal recently, I met a campaign group. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has done a huge amount of work in this area, as have Deputy McConalogue and Senator Mulherin. The Department knows what its want to do under that scheme; it is just a question of dotting the i's and crossing the t's with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We are very close to doing so. We have agreement on a scheme and once I can bring it to the Cabinet, we can announce the details.

Senator Mulherin made a number of other points to which I will return when I have opportunity to do so.

Senator Humphreys asked about a change to legislation in respect of short-term lets. It is a change to primary legislation, but it is very simple and can be made very quickly. The draft regulations are with the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government which it has discussed in an informal private session.Once we have agreement on the regulations from the joint committee, I will put them on standstill for 21 days before they take effect. The key is to remind everyone that from 1 June the law will change and people should get ready for that change now because we have given them ample warning.

I know Senators had some detailed information on the build-to-rent sector, which we can discuss at another time.