Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. It is refreshing to hear his conscious positive bias towards people with disabilities and the provision of housing for people with disabilities. He knows there have been many difficulties in getting adequate housing for people with disabilities over the years. I wish to raise one issue that was brought to my attention recently. It concerns a girl in long-term local authority housing in the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. Her rent allowance is €29 a week but her rent is €73 and she also has housekeeping costs. This girl has fallen into poverty because of the caste system. There is great inflexibility. I have been working with different Department on this case. One Department says it is the responsibility of another Department and that Department say it is the responsibility of the other one. Given the inflexibility of the means test for RAS, how can we justify giving a person in receipt of a disability allowance a means test, allowing her rent allowance of €29 a week but charging her €73 for rent and €80 for housekeeping, which puts her into poverty and means she will never be in any way independent? It is a specific question. I believe in the philosophy of universal design and I am sure that will be well covered in today’s discussion. However, I would appreciate if the Department could examine the specific issue I raised. I have been coming up against a brick wall trying to deal with it. That girl has been means tested but she has no means. If she was able bodied, she would be in receipt of the housing assistance payment, HAP, and would get much more assistance. That is my question.