Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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This is a crazy situation. As the Committee of Public Accounts, there is the whole thing about value for money. We are losing. One of the Deputies already referred to this matter briefly. Could these situations arise? Here is an example of where it has arisen. We are losing housing stock. It is a small enough one at fewer than three dozen. I do not want to be too specific about it. It is fewer than three dozen. There is at least one that I am aware of and possibly a second. There is a situation where that social housing is now lost. For example, a vulnerable tenant living in a caravan – a pensioner – who does not have the €10,000 and is most in need of single-storey accommodation in that area does not have a hope of getting in the door, potentially, if situations like this start arising around the country. Somebody who has €10,000 in hello money is straight in the door. The management is now done by a private company. This is bizarre. We are now in a situation where social housing is now in the possession and control of a private company. The State – the taxpayer – finances it.