Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to discuss an issue that is being raised repeatedly and would not have been an issue heretofore. There is a generation of people who have been renting for the last ten years and paying very high rents. Depending on the area of the country they are living in, they could be paying €900 to €1,500 per month, as is the case in my own area of Limerick. If they are paying that level of rent over time, it reduces their ability to save but it shows their capacity to pay. Could ability to pay be factored into a relaxation of the rules in the case of, say, a person approximately 30 years old who has a well paid and secure job but is finding it difficult to save a particular amount because of the high cost of rent? A person of similar age and circumstance who is living at home might be able to save for a deposit but it is possible he or she would be on a lesser gross income. I ask Mr. Tobin to comment.