Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

It is a pity that the Minister cannot put it more concretely than that because, while the Department has said that it is examining the cases individually, the reality is that people do not know to which category they belong. They do not know when the postman is going to knock with a letter from the courts. They are thinking, "it might be me, even if I am 70 years of age". Obviously, there is some reassurance in the fact that it has not happened yet but they do not know that it is not going to happen. I ask that there would be a positive engagement, accepting fully that nobody in this House or to whom we have spoken in the Curragh condones people not paying rent or making a contribution in accordance with their means. That is not what this is about. It is about the very real circumstances of people who have tried, have played by the rules and who have nowhere else to go. The Department must actively engage with them, all the while recognising that individuals are different and need to be treated differently. If there is a will to take up that offer of constructive engagement, will the Minister make his officials available to meet representatives of the group of residents to try to progress the matter?

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