Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will Mr. O'Connor, please, listen to me? I know that the limits are set. I know what the limits are in Galway and that the local authority can use its discretion. Notwithstanding all of that, one simply cannot find a house in Galway to rent. That is why the homeless figures are rising. I know from a person related to me who was looking for accommodation that it costs more than €1,000 a month to rent a two-bedroom apartment. The HAP scheme has been the only game in town since 2014 when it was rolled out having been a pilot scheme. Some €300 million has been allocated this year, double the figure for last year. Will Mr. McCarthy comment on the increase from €150 million to €300 million which will rise to €421 million? There is also the RAS, as well as the rent supplement scheme. Has it occurred to the officials from the Housing Agency that they should conduct research into the impact of the various schemes on affordability in the housing market?