Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for her question. She made a very valid point. The explicit aim of what we are doing is to ensure everyone has a housing solution. Currently, a review process is ongoing in the Department of the means test for the income eligibility criteria. In connection with that assessment, we will examine what potential income disregards can be expanded. The Senator rightly pointed out that a person in receipt of disability allowance is among the most vulnerable in society who has to shoulder a certain burden. The key issue is that we have to examine this in the context of the other supports. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, is currently reviewing other housing supports. Other actors of the State are coming into the process such as the Land Development Agency, LDA, which will bring in more units and in that context we need to examine the income eligibility criteria. That review is currently in the final stages and, hopefully, we will have more news on how we can expand that means tested area. I accept this review that been ongoing for a long time. We are very conscious of that. The Minister is on record also as saying he wants to bring this to a conclusion very quickly.