Dr. Seán Healy:

We mentioned earlier that the European average for social housing is 20% of overall housing stock but in Ireland it is only 9%. One of the problems that goes with that is that income thresholds are kept low because we just do not have the houses to accommodate people. We are arguing very strongly for a dramatic increase in that. We are arguing for an increase in Ireland's social housing stock to 20% of the total stock, which is beyond what is being planned at the moment on any front. This is critically important. If we had a dramatic increase in the provision of social housing we would then be able to take a large number of people out of the private rented sector. We would save the HAP money they are getting at the moment and we would be able to put people into social housing. Obviously, cost-rental is in the mix as well. We would be very supportive of cost-rental as the next stage up in terms of development. If we could take a substantial number of people out of the private rental sector, we would take a major step towards stabilising the market, a market in which people are paying nonsense rents of €2,200 per month a two-bedroom apartments.

We would also support what Dr. McDonnell was saying about indexation of pensions and of thresholds and would agree that the wages would do the trick rather than the triple lock. They used that model in the UK. It fits a particular moment but I do not think we are in that moment here, at this stage. We should accept wages as the basic benchmark for indexation and then pick the numbers at which we are going to pitch welfare and pension rates. Obviously, we need research to work out what is required, ultimately, to live life with dignity so that we know where to put those marks.