Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 4, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “(4) Notwithstanding the interpretation contained in section 1(2), sections 2, 3and 4shall also apply to such persons living in dwellings with written license agreements, verbal license agreements and informal rent-a-room arrangements.”.

I will be brief because my priority, as I mentioned in my opening comments on Second Stage, is the six-month ban on evictions. We submitted this amendment to ensure that the protections in this Bill will apply to those who do not have formal contracts with landlords or are not registered with the RTB. Many people are in informal arrangements, such as renting a room from a friend who may be the main leaseholder. The Minister needs to recognise their tenancy rights when drafting legislation such as this or, more broadly, he needs to fix the private rental market. Doing nothing is not an option.