Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Has it become apparent since the rent caps were put in place in Dublin and other places that landlords are making fewer units available for social housing? Has it driven them into the Airbnb market? I am being told it has. There has been a lot of criticism of landlords from many sectors, which they feel is unfair. All through the bad times and the tough times, they made units available for social housing. They feel they are being denied the ability to increase their rents because of this cap and so they are making their properties available for Airbnb rather than social housing. Are there figures available that substantiate what I have been told?

Another issue regarding social housing and local authorities is where the Department still demands four layers of approval. Local authorities can opt for fewer stages of approval - perhaps one or two - but there is a stipulation which hurts them in that if some extra cost arises, after they have signed up to the two layers of approval, they must foot the bill themselves and they do not have the funds to manage that. The Department is being very unfair in this regard.

The third thing that is hurting many people, in particular people in the 50s, is the grant aid for the elderly is only available to people on reaching 65 or 66 years.