Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

I had proposed an amendment to section 3. Why has it been ruled out of order? I would like to say on the record that my intention with the amendment was simply to empower the Minister to introduce regulation. It was not necessarily the case that I wanted it to result in a higher cost to the Exchequer. When the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, said there would no special protection for renters afforded by this Bill, I saw it as a missed opportunity and that was why my amendment came about. Many of the people who voted for me, some of whom may be in Trinity College and other colleges, rely on the private sector for short-term rentals. This Bill, as it stands, means that the rent for those students can increase substantially, year on year. People generally do not stay in rental accommodation for longer than six years.

Another group of people who will be hurt and negatively affected by this legislation are those with disabilities. Many disabled citizens are at greater risk of becoming homeless than those who are able to secure accommodation. They often must deal with the additional costs of their own disability. I know that, on the east coast, there are people with special disability needs on the housing list. My amendment would have provided protection for our disabled citizens.

I will speak to an area I know well, which is homelessness. Through my work with Tiglin, I know that many charities are providing homes and accommodation, albeit temporarily, for people who are homeless. The problem is that when they exit that homelessness, they can be subject to frequent moves and getting accommodation can be difficult. The Bill does not protect those individuals who are trying to put their lives back together and are now facing increased rent.

The Minister said there would be serious problems in enforcing any protections for students and others. If this Bill were not being guillotined today, perhaps there would have been more time to explore that issue. I do not believe we have exhausted all the possibilities to provide those protections.

Many of my colleagues have put forward solid amendments. I would hope that, at a later point, we could explore ways to protect the people I have mentioned, including those with disabilities and those exiting homelessness, etc. I thank the Minister of State.