Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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On that last point, each of the 31 local authorities have different definitions. When people apply for social housing and if they have had a criminal record within the previous five years, it can prevent them from being housed. To me this definition is for people who are involved in serious criminality not for the person who may have been driving with no insurance, who maybe was caught for shoplifting or who might have had cannabis for personal use. Each local authority has the ability to set its own rules and I believe that is a problem. We need to have universality among the local authorities. For those people who are in recovery every way they turn there is a block. We should have support for those people everywhere they turn.