Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take it back. I welcome that because heretofore people were told they got only a certain number of nights, that they had to find alternative locations, and if they did not, they were out. That is fact.

Despite what he says, the Minister of State is not listening. He is seeking suggestions and is not listening. If he does not believe me, maybe he will take the word of his colleague, Deputy Durkan. If we can believe what is said in the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meetings, he said the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government is not listening. If he is not listening to his own backbenchers, what hope is there for us on this side of the House? There was to have been an increase in the threshold from €2 million to €6 million, but for one full year the Department has prevented that change from taking place. If the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport thinks it is all right to allocate the roads budget at the beginning of the year and leave it to the local authorities to spend it, why is it not okay for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to do the same at the beginning of the year and leave it to well-paid directors and competent staff to spend that money efficiently during the year? That would reduce the need for going backwards and forwards to the Department, which wastes much valuable time.

The Minister of State has repeatedly promised to revamp the tenant purchase scheme. That has yet to happen. Despite promising and repeatedly saying in replies to parliamentary questions that it is imminent, it has not happened. If that was changed and tweaked, it would facilitate people and enable them to purchase their own houses. The Government could use the funds raised to ring-fence and reinvest in new housing in the required area. The thresholds for people on the local authority housing lists are far too low. They are unacceptable. Anybody on a minimum wage, earning little money, does not qualify for local authority housing. For example, one of my constituents who has five children and works is renting a house. He gets up every day and goes to work. He is paying €700 a month to rent and can just about manage. The house has been sold and the cheapest he can rent for now is €1,200 a month. There is no support for him. He is considering giving up work and going on the dole to avail of schemes. That is not right. There are no supports for people like him. The Department has failed to review the thresholds.

We are still awaiting an affordable housing scheme, which was promised more than 18 months ago, and according to replies to parliamentary questions that I have received, there is no intention of bringing an affordable housing scheme to Westmeath. There is a huge need for it in my constituency. Turnkey developments are welcome, but the manner in which they take place is not open or transparent. I raised this at a meeting with the senior executive team of the Westmeath County Council, which the Minister of State attended, last Friday morning. Local people are unaware of a turnkey development coming into the area. There is no proper or adequate mix of social and affordable housing and there are no plans to change that. Nobody can aspire to own their house in an approved housing body because they are prevented from doing so.

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