Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the spirit of what the Senator is saying but this is reflected in the report as well. The issue is the arbitrary nature of the 30%. To take an example, a couple in my county with two children will be over the income threshold if they are earning €510 per week. If they were in local authority housing, they would be paying a rent of €112 but if we apply the 30% rule, they would be paying €155. For the sake of that €5 that they are over the income threshold, they would be paying over €40 more. It is not that we dispute the spirit of the proposal, it is just the arbitrary nature of that 30%. It is dangerous to ever put a line in the sand.