Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have learned from the last time one of our Bills was delayed. The fear I might take away from tonight is that this motion ensures rental properties which do not meet minimum standards will have a free run on the rental market for the next six months. Senator Coffey suggested that we are a bit "cynical" over on this side. Would he blame us? The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, said he wanted to deal with this in January 2018. Senator Buttimer said he hopes "we would not divide the House". He knows that Private Members' Bills progress through this House at a snail's pace. There is probably no need to place this amendment before the House to delay the Bill. It is the Senator who moved the amendment who will cause the House to divide.

I thank the Senators who contributed and those who came along to the debate but did not get into the discussion. I thank Senators Devine, Coffey, Murnane O'Connor, Black, Buttimer, Ó Donnghaile, Ruane, McFadden, Humphreys, Higgins and Noone for being here. I thank Conor in my office for his support on this Bill and all the other Bills we have brought to the floor of the Seanad. I do not need to remind the House or the Government that Second Stage debates are about debating the principle of the Bill rather than its technicalities, which are issues for Committee Stage.

The second reason I oppose the amendment is that it refers to "compliance with EU law (eCommerce Directive and possibly the Services Directive)". I do not think those directives have been mentioned too often in this debate, if at all. Legislation that was proposed by Fine Gael Deputies in the other House recently could have led to similar questions being asked about compliance with EU directives. Even though the Bills in question - the Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill 2017, in the name of Deputy Rock, and the Treatment of Cancer (Advertisements) Bill 2018, in the name of Deputy O'Connell - are not perfect and require refinement, neither of them has been subject to the six-month delay that has been proposed by the Government. Deputy Rock's Bill was passed on Second Stage with the support of the Government. Compliance with EU directives is a matter for the next Stage of the debate, rather than Second Stage. The Government's proposal to delay the Second Reading of the Bill will not ensure it complies with EU directives - it will merely stifle its effectiveness.

It is telling and problematic that Fianna Fáil Senators have said they will support the amendment on the basis of their overall opposition to the Bill. For those reasons, I propose that we reject this amendment.We should allow the Bill to proceed with the intention that Government and all interested Members would work together in a collaborative effort to address the issue of the advertising of substandard accommodation. This issue has become very apparent in recent years. As I have said, Deputy Eoghan Murphy said that he would deal with this in January 2018. That is in the transcript of his response to a priority question.

The Bill is sensible. We are trying to ensure people's safety with regard to fire safety, overcrowding and sanitation regulations. These properties should not be on the market. How often does attention need to be brought to properties which are obviously in breach of regulations online, on social media and in the printed press? People deserve to engage with the rental market with dignity and respect. People deserve better. We oppose the amendment and will be calling a vote on it. If the amendment is passed I will be banging down the Minister of State's door on Monday morning.