Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Leyden's proposal to amend the Order of Business. I acknowledge the enormous amount of work he has done and he will have my full support with this work. He has stuck at this for a long time and I am happy to second his proposal to amend today's Order of Business.

I discussed the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme with the Leader yesterday and tried to impress on him the importance of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government coming to this House as soon as practicable because this is an important scheme. We have again heard in the media today of people who are barely over the threshold. These people are up early in the morning to do a day's work and want to take this opportunity to avail of the loan scheme to purchase a house. That is an admirable thing for anyone to do. It should be encouraged and supported. I have just come from a committee meeting and I spoke to the Minister on the fringes of that meeting. We should ask the Minister, if at all possible and if it fits in with his timetable, to come to the House.

The Minister said this morning that he is anxious to get the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018 through both Houses of the Oireachtas. I attempted to impress on him that it is open to any Minister to initiate legislation in this House. It has not happened very often this term but it is open to the Minister. I ask the Leader to engage with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to find out and track when we can expect the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018 to come through either House of the Oireachtas because it is important.

I would also like the Leader to come back as early possible, perhaps in the next week, to outline the possibility of bringing the Judicial Council Bill to Seanad Éireann. It is important legislation and many Members are keen for it to progress. I see no reason it should not. We have time on our hands and this is a legislative House. It is our function and job to scrutinise legislation so let us take the Judicial Council Bill in both hands, give it a good airing, debate it and see how it can be progressed.