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

The Minister of State mentioned the Attorney General who gave bad advice previously on upward-only rent reviews. It is the same Attorney General. I disagree with the principle of mandatorily taking money by the Department of Social Protection from those on social welfare payments. We should not do that. The same approach has been used in other areas. People are struggling at the moment. I do not know if the Government is aware of the high number of people who are struggling currently. Many of them have built up rent arrears. I am not proposing that they should not pay it back or that people should not pay a fair rent. Every possible means should be used to get people to pay rent but I do not agree with taking it from their social welfare payments. In some cases people are receiving only €100 a week because they are under a certain age. The proposal is scandalous.

If payments were constantly reduced by the Department, even for old age pensioners who have their own house, we would certainly hear a lot more from them and their representatives.

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