Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations, and for the longer documentation which is exceptionally helpful in our consideration of the general scheme. Will Community Law and Mediation give us some concrete instances where, under the operation of the circular as it currently stands, people it believes should have a right to access social housing supports have been denied? What is probably more important is that it is clearly setting out a strong concern that an even larger group of people will potentially be excluded if the proposed Bill, as currently outlined, were to proceed. Will they be more specific about the categories or types of people, beyond migrants or returning Irish, will be affected? That will give us a sense of the challenges.

My other questions are for Focus Ireland and the Simon Community. Not everybody in this room is fully aware of the process that has been going on since last October.

It would be useful if someone were to summarise the briefing memo that the Department issued on 16 October, the engagements that have occurred since and why this set of discussions, and the negative reactions just outlined, have led, certainly in the view of the witnesses, to a connection between the proposed legislation in front of us and what happened last year. It would be helpful if the Department were to circulate that memo to the committee, but we will ask its representatives about that when they are here with us. To put this matter in context, I would like to know who is currently excluded and who it is feared will be excluded and to hear a little more context about the connection between the proposed changes to the 1988 Act and what is in front of us today.