The time is very short, and as this is a short Bill, the purpose of it is clear and very definite. It will not take much time to explain or recommend it to the House, and as I am very anxious that we should have a statement from the Government as to its policy on this matter of rent control before the House adjourns for the Easter Recess, I do not intend to be more than a minute or two.
PRIVATE DEPUTIES' BUSINESS. - INCREASE OF RENT AND MORTGAGE INTEREST (RESTRICTIONS) BILL, 1928—SECOND STAGE.
You can take the full ten minutes.
We will give the President a chance of talking now.
There are others of us who also want to speak on this Bill.
In any case I am throwing out a challenge to the Government to state here and now, before the adjournment, what their policy is to be regarding rent control. It will ease the minds of four or five thousand people who are looking forward with anxiety to the 24th June next, when the houses which they occupy will come out of control. They are likely to be evicted or have their rents raised very considerably unless something is done in the matter to extend the present control. This Bill would not be introduced except for an answer given a week or two ago by the Minister for Justice, whose Department is chiefly concerned with this matter. He was asked by Deputy Morrissey a supplementary question on the 15th March as to whether he would consider the amendment of the present Rent Restrictions Act. The Minister's answer was: "The Rent Restrictions Act is a comparatively recent Act, as the Deputy is aware." That was the only answer that was made. In answer to Deputy Byrne, he said that he did not propose to consider to what extent the relationship between landlord and tenant should be interfered with by further legislation except in so far as such relationship comes under review by the Town Tenants Commission.
We take it that the case will be made that there is a Commission sitting, and that we must wait for its report. That Commission has been sitting since January last year and there is no indication that we will have its report by the 24th June. There is no guarantee that the Town Tenants Commission will report anything about the matter of rent control or deal with it at all. If one can judge by the evidence tendered to that Commission it dealt with matters other than those of rent control. It dealt with the matter of security of tenure and with the machinery for fixing fair rent and matters of that kind. Judging by the terms of reference, there is nothing binding the Commission to report as to rent control. There is not a supply of houses, as the shortage is there as it was two years ago, when the Bill was first introduced. The object of that Bill was to keep rent controlled. The shortage has not been met. The demand for houses is there still. Will the President say that on the 24th June these houses will come out of control and allow the tenants to be at the mercy of the landlords? I move the Second Reading of the Bill, and I challenge the Government to make a statement on it.
I second. We will give the President three minutes.
Mr. GOOD: rose.
Is Deputy Good going to second the motion?
Would I be in order in moving the adjournment of the debate?
On a point of order. A definite question has been asked here by Deputy Davin—is Deputy Good going to reply for the Government?
I made a mistake, unfortunately. I thought that Deputy Good was going to second the motion. I am sorry I misunderstood it.
I could be very brief, but I could not state the Government policy in three minutes.
Could the President say that we can expect to have the report of the Commission which has been sitting for the last fifteen months?
Will the President state definitely whether he will accept the principle in the Bill and that control will be extended beyond the 24th June?
Am I in order in moving the adjournment of the debate?
I think the Deputy will be in order in speaking up to 2 o'clock.
May I say, with great respect, the Bill has been introduced. The Deputy says it is very important, and, in doing so, took three or four minutes, or five minutes at the very outside, to make his case. In all decency, I submit that that is not treating the House or the Government fairly. If there was a case to be made, I have not heard it. If I hear a case in favour of it I will deal with it.
You took good care that you would not have more than three minutes to do so.
I am taking Deputy Good as moving the adjournment of the debate. The House has made an order to adjourn until the 18th April, and on the adjournment motion Deputy Lemass has given notice to raise a question.