Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 4, line 5, to delete “12 July 2021” and substitute “31 December 2021”.

My priority today is to protect as many renters as possible. The number of renters who have sought protection under the existing Act is 407, which has been confirmed by the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. I wish to again place that figure of 407 people on the record of the House.

In the Dáil, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, seemed to think it was a good thing that only 407 people have self-declared in this manner. Our point is not to do with whether that number should be higher or lower. It is basic logic that if we are extending protections to 407 renters out of all the private renters in the market, we cannot simply claim that this is a good or great Bill for renters. We seek, therefore, to primarily limit the damage of section 2, which I will come to. I move amendment No.1, however, which extends protections from 12 July to 31 December 2021.