Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am deputising for Deputy Higgins. I welcome our participants and I particularly welcome Ms Kavanagh and Ms Aspell who represent Kildare County Council.

One of the biggest issues at present is the number of people who are on the local authority housing list, live in rental accommodation and have an income above the threshold to qualify for a local authority house. What are their prospects? Has Kildare County Council made representations to the Department for a realistic increase in the threshold to ensure that people, for instance, those who have an income of €50,000 or so, have the opportunity to get a council house? I ask because such people cannot possibly buy a house in their current situation.

I have questions on the number of houses available for re-letting, and perhaps by the local authority. How many of them are there? In general, how many bedrooms do these properties have? The income threshold is also an important aspect.

On Traveller accommodation, like every other member I am dealing with a number of Traveller applications where there is a very long wait for accommodation even though the applicants are in urgent need of rehousing, are under terrible pressure and live in overcrowded conditions. In fact, special funding has been allocated for Traveller accommodation. How is the scheme working? Has it worked satisfactorily throughout north Kildare?

I welcome the number of housing developments that are taking place. I congratulate the officials involved and those who must deal with applications. What is the present average number of local authority receipts for housing under Part V for this year, last year or whatever number of years? Is the county council certain that it gets the full number in each case? Is it sure of that in cases where a large number of apartments are scheduled for letting for them? Are we gaining, as a result of all the development that has taken place in north Kildare, to the extent that we need given the high demand for housing?