Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Yes, I agree the scheme needs reform in a number of areas. First, it was never intended to be a long-term scheme and, therefore, there are anomalies in that people are on it in the long term. As the Deputy knows, one of the problems with the scheme is that the €24 is paid irrespective of the make-up of the household. One will find people who are much better off on rent supplement than they would be, for example, in local authority housing, which should not be the case. I have spoken to the Minister of State with responsibility for housing on this issue. I believe it should once again become a time-limited scheme, which would deal with one of the traps to which the Deputy refers.

The second issue one could examine is whether it is right that there would be a fixed payment irrespective of household income because, as the Deputy said, one gets crinkles as it is withdrawn. I understand what the Deputy is suggesting in regard to the 30-hour rule. We have already committed to considering this in the context of mortgage interest supplement. I am open, subject to cost criteria, which is one of the issues, to looking at this whole issue because the scheme is not working for the purpose for which it was established.

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