I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.
THE DAIL IN COMMITTEE. - FIFTH STAGE.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
Upon that motion I desire to say I take the view that the general principle of the Bill is quite a good one, although many of us differ from the Minister in many respects as to the details of the Bill. I admire the Minister as the first who has stood over the recommendations of a Committee set up by himself, and I express the hope that it is the wish of Deputies that Ministers responsible for the setting up of Committees to inquire into questions of this or that kind should stand over the recommendations of Committees that must of necessity have gone more deeply into the matter than the Minister himself. We were used to the setting up of Commissions by the British Government for many years past, more or less for the purpose of pushing aside the agitation that might be going on in regard to any particular question. Commissions have been set up by the present Government, and reports of such Commissions have been set aside by the present Government, and it is for this reason that I congratulate the Minister for having adopted the recommendations of the Commission here, although, as far as I am personally concerned, they may be different from my own views on matters in this Bill.
However, I rise to take this opportunity of drawing the attention of the Minister to a delicate matter to which I have been urged to refer here. The Minister has referred to the Town Tenants' League, and to the necessity of having such an organisation to deal with claims and grievances of people very much concerned with the terms of this Bill. Now, I have been, in a representative capacity, associated with a particular dispute in a town in my constituency, which is also the one the Minister represents, regarding the activities of this All-Ireland Town Tenants' League. A number a people promoted a syndicate, under the name of that particular League, and set themselves to purchase the Town Hall and the houses of people over the heads of the occupying tenants.
Is the Deputy speaking to the motion:: "That the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest Bill do now pass"?
I am drawing the attention of the Minister to these particular cases.
But that is not relevant to the motion that this particular Bill do now pass. This is not a Town Tenants Bill, as has been so frequently pointed out.
I am drawing the attention of the Minister to these cases in the hope that, through this Bill, he might be able to control the activities of people who are interfering with the rights of tenants.
This is a Bill to interfere with the rights of landlords.
And I submit it is a Bill also to protect the rights of tenants.
It is a Bill to interfere with the rights of landlords. Its purpose is to restrict the increase of rent and mortgage interest. That is the precise definition of the Bill. I assure the Deputy that he is now advocating an entirely different matter.
I do not intend to go into details. The cases to which I am calling attention have cropped up in a town which the Minister and myself represent, and my object in referring to the matter is to prevent a recurrence of what has gone on there. I realise it is a very delicate matter, and on your ruling A Chinn Comhairle, I do not wish to proceed further.
Question put: "That the Bill do now pass."
Agreed.