John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. He is a regular visitor at this point, which shows the urgency the Government has placed and will continue to place on this area. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Government acted quickly to protect renters by introducing emergency legislation to freeze rents and temporarily ban evictions. We extended that prior to Christmas and, in March, we extended the temporary legislation to ensure that those who had lost their incomes due to the Covid-19 pandemic and needed the protection and support of the legislation would continue to receive it.

When I spoke in the debate on the previous version of the Bill, I said that the Minister had stated that if we were still in the same situation by July, the measures would be reviewed by Government and he would consider introducing further protections if necessary at that point. Unfortunately, we are now at that point and we need to extend the protections. I welcome that he is now extending them by six months until January to give that comfort and provide certainty over that period.

During the debate I also appealed to the Opposition not to present or distort this legislation as something that would take rights or protections away from tenants. I echo that call today. The Bill before us seeks to further enhance and protect the most vulnerable tenants, those who have been negatively affected through no fault of their own by the Covid-19 pandemic until 12 January next year. Despite the progress that has been made with the vaccination programme, it is vital that we protect the renters who have been negatively affected as a result of the pandemic.

As Senator Keogan said, supply is key and everybody acknowledges that. That is why the Government is introducing two groundbreaking Bills - the Affordable Housing Bill, which has passed all Stages in this House, and the Land Development Agency Bill, which will come before us in the coming weeks. That legislation will mean that affordable purchase schemes will be provided by local authorities on publicly owned land. We have an innovative shared equity scheme, which will assist first-time buyers in owning and bridging the gap between what the market is providing and what they can afford under the macroprudential rules. It was the first ever cost-rental scheme in the State. It increases Part V provision by 10% for affordable housing.That is a key plank of Government policy and will deliver affordability across the country. I commend the Minister on his work in that regard.

The Bill will also introduce measures to ensure the deposit or advance payment a tenant pays to a landlord is limited to two months' rent. I welcome that, in extending the legislation, the Bill will provide for students who live in student-specific accommodation. They will be covered by the new deposit measure and will not have to give more than 28 days' notice when terminating their tenancy.

In dialogue with the Minister's officials, I stated in response to concerns raised by the Opposition that we could look at inserting that this provision only applies to third level institutions providing packages of tuition and accommodation. It would ease some fears that this could be a way of slipping in by the back door a way around the legislation for other landlords. If the Minister could look at an amendment on that on Committee Stage, it would be useful.

I commend the Minister and his officials on the speed with which they have brought this legislation before us. It is welcome that we are extending the protections until 12 January. I look forward to the debate on this legislation in the coming days.