Mr. Ger Deering:

It is not for us to decide policy. If the Government decides that it is social housing, so be it. I am going to avoid that question but what I will say to Deputy Hearne is that I think there is an unfairness in the current system, as we have outlined in the report. For example, if a person is on HAP and has to pay a top-up, what is often not realised - the Deputy knows this but the public in general does not - is that they also pay a differential rent to the local authority. By the way, my first job in the public sector was as a rent collector, so I have experience in this area. They have to pay a differential rent. A person in a local authority house, social housing or whatever form of housing it may be, pays the differential rent and that is the end of the story. However, a person in a less secure situation, in private housing with HAP, may well be paying a top-up as well.

What is really needed is clarity because there are different approaches around the country. Some councils have what they call a transfer list. It is our understanding that a small number of councils leave everyone on the social housing list. This means someone who is in position 40 on the list when they got the HAP will stay in that position.

Others take people off the list and say they are now socially housed but that they are on a transfer list and may well be able to transfer to social housing at some stage. More transparency and fairness are required in the system regarding whether we consider people to be socially housed.