Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The scheme will help to address the issue of homelessness by making independent living a more realistic option through the use of RAS as part of a wider tenancy sustainment programme and will bring about a real improvement in standards in the private rented sector through the sole use of good quality accommodation for RAS tenants. I accept that only 700 people have moved across to date and that most of those are in the voluntary sector. A problem arising for early transferees is that the quality of accommodation is deficient and some people in receipt of rent allowance refused to transfer over because the accommodation was not good enough. In time, however, this will be a great system for improving the quality on offer to social tenants. Basically, we are telling the landlord to bring their properties up to proper standards because it is only right and proper that social tenants, whether of local authorities or on rent allowance, are in good accommodation.

See this speech in context