Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have to disagree with the Deputy about the functioning of the tenant in situ scheme. It is working well from the perspective of social housing tenants. There was a bit of a culture change and a need for local authorities that have not been experiencing as much homelessness to adapt and to develop a sensitivity to realising they had this tool and to providing it. That has now largely been done. I am basing my view on my regular contact with councillors around the country.

While cost rental is completely new and unprecedented, which means there is a massive cultural and mental shift for everyone involved, it is working as well as anything. Buying or selling a house is a long, protracted and drawn-out process at the best of times. Cost rental is introducing a bit more certainty and it is certainly relieving a lot of stress for tenants because it provides them with a solution they never imagined would have been there. This is an important point to make because I do not think we should be talking it down. It took a lot to get it in place. It is very significant for the people who are able to avail of it. We need to build confidence in all of the stakeholders that are potentially there to exercise it as a tool so that we can maximise homelessness prevention.