Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 48, line 12, after “may” to insert “, subject to subsection (3),”.

These two amendments are linked. Amendment No. 23 is a technical amendment that will allow for amendment No. 24. This amendment tempers the demand driven element of the new housing assistance payment to take account of affordability, from the perspective of the Exchequer. It provides that a housing authority must take steps to ensure that payments under HAP in any year do not exceed the amount made available to the authority for that purpose. We must act responsibly in introducing this scheme. The amendments will ensure the Exchequer is not faced with annual bills for HAP it cannot meet within the financial allocations for the year.