Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

A total of €500 million for 93,000 people is a good security for those people and it is keeping them in rented accommodation. It also acknowledges the difficulties experienced by those people. What I do not like to see is the scheme being used as a long-term arrangement because it was never designed to be that kind of scheme. Some of the changes we introduced will help to overcome those barriers, such as the amount of personal contribution and the fact that it is now the responsibility of the local authorities. It is hoped that the current surplus of unused and available housing stock may be one solution. My own local housing authority is also anxious that people should not be permitted to make several refusals of housing and my Department is examining this aspect of the scheme and is working closely with the local authorities.

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