Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses and their organisations for the brilliant work they do to support families and to help people. I know from my constituency the work that is being done. For me, housing is the single biggest issue we face. I was a councillor for 11 years and now, as a Deputy, HAP just keeps coming up. HAP meets some people's needs but from what I am hearing, and have been hearing for years, HAP does not meet the needs of the majority of people for a number of reasons. A big issue at the moment is the difference between the HAP and the actual rent and so people have to top it up. That is causing serious difficulties for people and families and, as the witnesses mentioned, is pushing people into arrears and further into poverty. That goes back to putting a cap on rents to protect people from getting into rent arrears. I checked this morning and a couple with three children get €950 in HAP. Even if they got the extra 20% there is no property in Cork - not one - they could rent. They could not even rent a two-bedroom property for the money HAP gives them. That goes back to the points made earlier. There might have been some softening of the market in Dublin but for Cork, which I represent, the situation is worse. Covid-19 has highlighted how the housing crisis is getting worse. The witnesses know that because they are on the front line and are talking to people about these issues.

I come from social housing, from Knocknaheeny. My family came from Gurranabraher and my mother came from Curraheen, which were all big social housing estates in Cork. People want that kind of security of tenure. They want to be able to build a home and they cannot do that in a HAP property because of the way HAP is designed. I am just looking to get some of the witnesses' thoughts on that. I will make two points. Vulnerable people and families are most affected by HAP. As Deputy Ó Broin asked earlier, what can we do to help them and to help the witnesses' organisations deliver for these people? I propose that we write to the Minister looking for a full review of HAP because from listening to the contributions this morning that is urgently needed.