Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Dec 1958

Vol. 50 No. 3

Rent Restrictions (Continuance and Amendment) Bill, 1958—Second and Subsequent Stages.

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

Minister for Justice (Mr. Traynor)

This Bill proposes to extend the Rent Restrictions Acts for a further period of one year after the 31st December, when they would otherwise expire. In present circumstances the Acts could not be allowed to lapse without causing hardship to many tenants.

After the Government took office they initiated a fresh departmental examination of the rent control problem having regard to the recommendations in the Conroy Report on Rent Control, presented in 1952, and to the economic changes which have taken place since then. The examination was completed during the year and the major recommendations in the report submitted to the Government. I am glad to be able to say that instructions have now been given to the Parliamentary Draftsman for the preparation of a comprehensive measure which will repeal and reenact the present Acts with modifications. The drafting of such a measure is bound to take some time but I hope to be in a position to introduce it sometime in the New Year. In the meantime, it is necessary to keep the present Acts in force, as proposed in this Bill, and I ask the House, therefore, to give it a Second Reading.

Mr. McGuire

I want to say that we accept this Bill for what it is, namely, a Bill to continue the present situation until such time as a comprehensive Bill can be produced. We would just like to say that everybody will be looking for a lot from the new Bill when it does come in.

Undoubtedly, there are very grave hardships under the existing situation, as regards landlords, particularly, and as regards tenants. For my part, I hope something enlightened will come from this new Bill which will make it profitable for landlords to own property and which also will make it good for tenants to be able to rent holdings under the new Act.

I feel that, unless landlords get proper rewards for the letting of their property, we will not have proper lettings for the tenants. In other words, if a Bill is produced which gives a proper and a just consideration to both sides, it will be in the interests of everybody.

Professor O'Brien

The Bill proposes to extend the Rent Restrictions Acts only for one year and therefore I shall not enter into the general subject. I just want to refer to the report on Housing by the Capital Investment Advisory Committee. I would remind the House that a repeal of the Rent Restrictions Acts is a very important recommendation of that Committee's Report and that, by the recommendation, they hope to save a great deal of money on new housing by conserving the stock of existing houses.

The repeal of the Rent Restrictions Acts is a very important part of the policy outlined in that report. I hope that policy will not be put aside or shelved. I take it, from what the Minister says, that that is not the case and therefore I shall not pursue the matter further now. If this were a permanent extension of the Rent Restrictions Acts, I would have a great deal to say in relation to the report of the Capital Investment Advisory Committee.

Question put and agreed to.

Agreed to take remaining Stages to-day.

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