Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to give the Minister feedback on the point made by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government that knowing that a tenant had a certain lump sum or savings available could impact on the calculation of his or her rent. Certainly, under the differential rent schemes that I am aware of in both local authorities in Cork, it is based on income. One can argue that interest income would be included but there is no conversion of capital to income under those differential rent schemes. I do not believe that argument is valid, unless it applies elsewhere in the country. In my experience, it is certainly not.