Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Dec 1953

Vol. 43 No. 3

Rent Restrictions (Continuance and Amendment) Bill, 1953—Second and Subsequent Stages.

Question proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Mr. Boland

This is a Continuation Bill. As Senators are aware, there was a commission set up to go into the whole question of the rent restrictions code and they reported some time last year. Last year there was objection taken to prolonging the Bill for 12 months, but this year there was more satisfaction because I pointed out that since the report had been circulated I had interviewed three bodies, two representing householders and one representing tenants, and there is an application for me to receive another body interested in this report.

As I pointed out last year when I was asking for a continuation of the Bill, once the committee had been set up it was only fair to them and to the general public that the recommendations of the committee should be circulated and that those who felt they were affected by the recommendations should have an opportunity of making their case. It is quite clear they have not all made their case yet and the Rent Restrictions Act would lapse before the end of this year if it were not continued. Therefore, I ask to have all stages.

Mr. O'Higgins

There is just one matter to which I have been asked to call the Minister's attention. I am quite sure he is well aware of it already, but I would like to keep my undertaking. The Minister has mentioned the fact that the commission was sitting and this is a matter that has of course been dealt with in evidence by the commission. A number of people who are tenants of houses built since the 7th May, 1941, in other words, decontrolled houses, are perturbed by the fact that while they may accept a yearly tenancy at a particular rent or possibly a two, three or four-year tenancy, making the arrangement that the landlord would pay the rates, they find that whenever the tenancy is up, under the law as it now stands, their tenancy would end unless they agreed to take over the burden of rates. In many cases both in Cork and in Dublin the situation is that these people who first went as tenants into their houses 12 years ago now find that they are paying nearly double what they were paying when they originally signed their tenancy agreement. I am perfectly well aware that this is one of the matters that has been dealt with by the commission but I have been asked to take this opportunity of specifically calling the Minister's attention to it.

Mr. P.F. O'Reilly

I am sure we are all agreed that the Minister should have this Bill. It is quite clear that this report which he has received is not merely a very valuable report but a very long and a complete report and that he will require some more time to consider it. Of course, it must be borne in mind that the delay, which I am sure will be unavoidable, causes hardship not merely to tenants but also to landlords. It may result in the position that we will not have any building of dwelling-houses for letting purposes. If that were to be a result of the delay it would be a great pity and we can only hope—and I am sure we are right in hoping—that the Minister will use great expedition in having the report fully considered.

Mr. Boland

These matters are all being considered. Of course, it was pointed out in the other House by Deputy Sweetman, that when we were putting the other Bill through we thought we had covered every point, having consulted many sources and having worked on it for weeks, and we discovered in spite of all that that various points were not covered. Senators will agree that these matters require great consideration and no hasty decision should be taken. We are looking into the question and also that particular aspect that was raised in the other House last week.

Question put and agreed to.

Agreed to take the remaining stages now.

Bill passed through Committee, reported without amendment, received for final consideration and passed.

The Seanad adjourned at 6 p.m.sine die.