Fiach MacConghail (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I was not here when he served in this House but his reputation indicates that he is a sincere and hard-working individual. I hope I and others can live up to the example he set during his time here. The Minister of State and I were colleagues on the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht and I offer him my heartfelt congratulations.
I wholeheartedly support the Bill. However, we had some concerns on Committee Stage with regard to transfers and waiting lists, and the Minister of State's predecessor, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, assuaged these and gave a commitment to the effect that if any delays occur - particularly in the context of the six pilot schemes - secondary legislation will be introduced. I wish to read what she said into the record because the new Minister of State has probably not been bought up to speed on this matter. What the former Minister of State, who is now the Minister for Education and Skills, said on Committee Stage is extremely important in the context of reassuring all of those who are in receipt of HAP that their positions on the transfer and waiting lists will not be affected. Deputy O'Sullivan stated:

I am committed to putting in place the statutory framework under section 22 of the 2009 Act to provide for a robust transfer policy in every local authority, which would afford HAP recipients and other social housing tenants equal opportunity to access other forms of social housing support, including incremental purchase schemes. This list, while a transfer list, will reflect the specific priority and previous position occupied by the household in question on the main waiting list in the authority area in which it is resident. Households will, therefore, be placed on a transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the main housing waiting list.

That certainly assuaged my concerns. My motive for quoting what the Minister of State's predecessor said is to make him aware of the fact that quite an amount of debate took place in respect of this issue on Committee Stage.