Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight three issues in respect of this legislation. The first of these relates to the various orders which will be put in place in the context of tenancy warnings, etc., and which will replace the summary procedures for which provision is made under section 62 of the Housing Act 1966. The measures contained in the Bill are definitely a considerable improvement on what is currently in place. I am of the view, however, that we will ultimately be obliged to bite the bullet in respect of the manner in which local authorities deal with their tenants. As matters stand, those authorities still act as judge and jury in respect of their tenants. In the context of various items of European legislation on human rights, I do not believe that is acceptable. We should consider the possibility of eventually bringing local authority housing disputes within the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board, as happened in the case of disputes relating to the voluntary housing sector. It is important that there would be an independent dispute resolution body for local authority tenants.

The second issue to which I wish to refer is that of tenant purchase. This matter is very close to my heart and I have done a considerable amount of research in respect of it. The new scheme is extremely positive in terms of retaining tenant purchasers within their local communities.

There is a lot of evidence to show that in the past, people were taking the discount, turning the houses around very quickly, making substantial profits and moving out of their communities, particularly during the Celtic tiger era. This measure will go a long way towards stopping that practice.

I have two concerns that I ask the Minister of State to take on board. The first concerns older tenants. The incremental purchase system very much favours younger tenants who may have 20 years in which to have a mortgage arrangement. Many local authority tenants are older tenants. I am concerned that schemes such as this would not be in their interest because they would not be in a position to see through 20 years of a future charge on their property.

A promise, dating back to the 1980s, was made to tenants of flats that they would be in a position in which they could purchase their homes. This promise was also made to tenants of maisonettes. I am concerned that many people will never have this aspiration realised. We need to address this. Although the measure before us on tenant purchase is positive, a number of people have been left behind and they need to be considered.

The most important aspect of this Bill relates to the HAP scheme. The payment will replace rent supplement for people who have been getting that payment for over 18 months. I am the chairman of an organisation called Threshold, which works primarily in the private rented sector. Therefore, I note that the vast majority of people who receive rent supplement are either single or lone parents. Their position on the social housing waiting list is incredibly low. In the vast majority of cases, their chance of ever getting a social housing unit within any reasonable period is severely restricted. The vast majority are and have been trapped in the rent supplement system for decades. The housing assistance payment gives them, for the first time, a real chance to move on with their lives and get back to work. I am thinking in particular of a case I am dealing with which concerns a single parent who is trapped with rent supplement and cannot take up work to any reasonable extent because she will lose her entitlement to the supplement. There are thousands of people in this position today. The HAP scheme, which will replace the rent supplement scheme, will allow them to pay rents in accordance with their incomes and move forward with their lives.

The emphasis that has been placed on eligibility, the housing waiting list and one’s position thereon has been an enormous distraction in considering this legislation. It has long been the case that RAS tenants have been eligible to be on the transfer list. Last year in the Dublin area alone, 50% of all allocations were made on the transfer list. That HAP tenants will now be eligible to go on the transfer list will improve their position to a point at which they will have a realistic chance of being housed. This contrasts with their position as rent supplement tenants in circumstances where, let us face it, even talking about waiting lists is quite often utterly meaningless.

I very much welcome the introduction of the HAP scheme. It will level the playing field for those in need of housing support. It is vital that the scheme be rolled out as quickly as possible. There are people literally waiting for it to come into existence so as to improve their lives.

I ask the Minister of State to make the rolling out of the HAP scheme a priority for his Ministry. It is essential if we are to remove the poverty traps, particularly for single people and single families with one child.