Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 34:

In page 54, line 30, after "offers" to insert "not less than 3".

The reason I tabled this amendment is because it is not specific how many times the Minister proposes in section 45, where it states, "a prescribed number of reasonable offers". This varies between local authorities. Some local authorities state one offer and if one refuses the next offer, one waits a year or whatever. Other local authorities have different procedures.

An offer could be made to someone in a place to which they cannot or do not want to go. It may be for reasons of anti-social behaviour. There may be a myriad of reasons they do not want to go to a specific area.

The purpose of this amendment is to give a little flexibility to tenants if they refuse. Some parents have their children in schools in different areas and the next minute they are told they must move a long distance away. It is not fair. The offers must be reasonable and there also must be a certain number of them, of course within reason. In this regard, there is a need for greater standardisation because the process is so chaotic throughout the country.

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