Ms Clare Naughton:

In answer to the first question on HRC, the difficulty is in how it has been interpreted. Applicants for social housing support are often asked to prove they have 52 weeks of work but there may be other ways a person can qualify, such as where an adult child makes an application. Once it is addressed with the local authority, generally they will respond but the difficulty is with those people who do not have the skill set to address the issue. In my experience it is the way the regulations have been interpreted that is the problem.

The second question was on part custody. Many local authorities, particularly those in the greater Dublin area, can cope with responding to applications from separated parents or where there are co-parenting situations. South Dublin County Council certainly can but Dublin City Council does not seem to have this in its scheme of allocation. They will deal with it when it is put to them directly but I only deal with a small proportion of separated parents and the problem is with those who do not have somebody to argue their case.