Under Standing Order 35(3), I would like to propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for housing come into the House and take questions on the housing emergency. It can no longer be called a crisis; it is an absolute disaster. Commencements of residential units have collapsed to a ten-year low. The Government's plan is failing disastrously. Does the Minister have any-----

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-----ideas to turn this around? He needs to come into this House and tell us his plans.

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My question also asked about the Minister for housing.

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I asked a question specifically about the Minister for housing.

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Is there not an obligation to respond?

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The Taoiseach probably saw the figures yesterday that showed that the average rent in this country is now over €2,000. My question is simple and straightforward. The Taoiseach and his Government accept that the housing crisis is no longer just a crisis. It is an emergency. How, in that context, can he agree with the Minister for housing, who said, as quoted in the Irish Examiner yesterday, that the Government will be making changes to the rent pressure zones? How can the Government agree to lifting rent caps in the middle of a housing emergency? Renters need to know. Given what is going on, there should be a commitment to keep the rent caps and the rent pressure zones in place for a minimum of three years to give renters some security. Regardless of the questions of institutional investors and supply, renters need that.

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Because we also said there needed to be a period of time.

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The rent caps. That is what I raised.

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