Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late. I wish to pick up on a couple of points that I heard while arriving, the first of which is the inequalities between income limits in various counties. I live in County Louth, but a part of my constituency is in County Meath. The maximum net income for a single person in County Meath is €35,000. One can earn up to that amount, receive HAP and get on the social housing list. In County Louth, though, someone can only earn up to €30,000. If a person exceeds that amount, he or she does not get on the housing list or have access to housing supports. At the maximum end of the limit, a couple with four children can have an income of up to €42,000 in Meath or €6,000 less in Louth. There is significant discrimination. I live in the town of Drogheda, part of which is in County Meath for administrative purposes. There could be different limits on the other side of the green in the same estate. That is unfair and wrong.

With all that in mind, I would like to make a suggestion about adjoining local authorities outside Dublin. I appreciate that Dublin has different issues. Would it be possible for the limits in adjoining local authority areas to suffice where, like Drogheda, settlements cross two areas? Someone living in either part of the area covered would be able to benefit. When moving from house A to house B, a person is moving from one county administration to a different one, even though he or she could still be living in the same estate. That is a problem. How can these inequalities be addressed?

There are other ambiguities. For example, someone can go from Louth to Meath on HAP but not vice versa. This creates a major problem. If I heard Ms Gleeson correctly, she spoke about moving HAP applicants from the greater Dublin area out to places like Meath and Cavan. I am not complaining; I am only seeking clarity and equality. Regardless of who or where one is, the income limits for social housing should be the same. There should not be discrimination on geographic grounds. I would appreciate Ms Gleeson's comments on these points.