Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 54, line 30, after "offers" to insert "not less than 3".

This amendment seeks to provide that the limit set for the number of offers a social housing applicant can refuse would be no less than three. We discussed the matter with the previous Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, on Committee Stage and the issue was around allowing for flexibility and not wanting to specify the number in primary legislation. The Minister of State referred to "reasonable offers" and mentioned that there were criteria as to what constituted a reasonable offer which a tenant could turn down. I make the proposal again as it is important to provide for it. Perhaps the Minister of State might discuss again the issue around reasonable offers and the guidelines on them. The previous Minister of State stated that two refusals was the number. I retabled the amendment to facilitate a little further discussion.