Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is why the focus must be on the type and quality of accommodation. There can be no diminution from that point of view.

A debate we need to have, as part of the housing debate, is on how we can provide incentives to people, for instance, in Cork, to avail of the living over the shop scheme so that they can live in the city and be part of urban living which we will see more of in the coming years. Under Project Ireland 2040, for example, the Government is ambitious for the city of Cork, where I live, with the primary focus on people living in the city and on what that means in terms of types of accommodation, public transport and services and facilities available.

The Government proposal is a reasonable compromise so that we can make the Bill better. It is about ensuring that we can work with local authorities and the different stakeholders to bring about the desired result which Senator Warfield and we all want to see achieved. It is about ensuring that we create modern homes for different family types. That means looking at the kind of grants and supports available and at how we can provide incentives, whether under the realm of climate change with energy retrofitting or in terms of incentivising the urban property owners to be able to modernise their buildings in keeping with the public realm.

We have over the past number of years changed the responsibility threshold to put more emphasis on landlords having responsibilities, which is to be welcomed. It is important that there is a monitor of the standard of accommodation. It is important that we understand that tenants and landlords must co-exist and that people deserve to live in proper accommodation in terms of what is being advertised. The advertising is the point that this Bill is about. We need to pause and reflect on what we want to achieve.

Senator Warfield has intimated that he is not in favour of the Government amendment and that is his prerogative. I would hope that we would not divide the House and that we would allow for the Government to come back and make the Bill better. My overarching thought is that this is something that I support but I understand where the Minister is coming from.