8. (1) Section 24A of the Act of 2004 is amended—

(a) in subsection (4), by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (b):

“(b) the average rent (determined by reference to the information specified in paragraph (a)) in the area in respect of the 3 months to which the most recent Rent Index quarterly report applies is—

(i) in the case of the county of Kildare, the county of Meath, the county of Wicklow or a local electoral area in any one of those counties, above the average rent in the State (other than the Dublin Area) specified in that report, or

(ii) in the case of any—

(I) other county or local electoral area, or

(II) any city, city and county or local electoral area situated in such city or city and county,

above the average rent in the State (other than the Greater Dublin Area) specified in that report.”,

and

(b) in subsection (10), by the insertion of the following definitions:

“ ‘Dublin Area’ means—

(a) the city of Dublin, and

(b) the counties of South Dublin, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown;

‘Greater Dublin Area’ means—

(a) the Dublin Area, and

(b) the counties of Kildare, Wicklow and Meath;”.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (5) of section 24A of the Act of 2004 or any order made thereunder, the period specified in any such order to be the period during which an area shall stand prescribed as a rent pressure zone shall expire on F1[31 December 2024].