Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me in raising this issue. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey, for being present and congratulate him on the work he is doing in reforming the delivery of social housing. The social housing strategy for the period to 2020 provides the roadmap in terms of tacking our social housing crisis. Some 35,000 additional social housing units will become available over the next six years. This is important and is really tackling the issue. It is a substantial effort, and I thank the Minister of State in that regard.

One of the knock-on consequences of the recession is that additional demands have been placed on social housing. We have significant waiting lists, and this has been compounded in recent years by the recession, falling incomes and mortgage difficulties. In addition, the rise in rents for residential properties is driving more low-income households to seek support. In my county, County Clare, there are more than 3,000 approved applicants on the council's housing waiting list. They are approved applicants on the basis of the current maximum net income limits that apply. However, I have come across a number of cases in which low-income households are falling outside these limits. Their circumstances need to be addressed.

Let me give a practical example of what I am speaking about. I met a couple recently in my constituency office in Ennis who are living in a one-bedroom apartment with their three children. One partner is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and the other is working but her take-home pay is very low. Their total household income is €608 per week and out of that they have to pay €500 per month for rent. In order to qualify for social housing under the current limits, their net income would have to be €528. In accessing their net income, the means test can take account only of PRSI, PAYE and USC payments. Although this family's income is extremely low and there is much demand on that limited income, the local authority cannot take into account its outgoings, such as rent or other reasonable expenses.

These tight income restrictions are forcing low-incomes families into even more serious hardship because, in cases like this, the option is for the working partner to reduce her working hours so as to be able to pass the social housing assessment. Effectively, people are being driven out of work and into the social welfare system when the objective should be ensuring that work pays more than the social welfare system.

No household should be forced into greater poverty. The solution is to increase the income thresholds in Clare and bring them into line with the thresholds which apply in a number of our neighbouring counties such as Limerick, Galway, Kerry and Cork. Currently, Clare is included in Band 3, with the maximum net threshold for a single person assessed at €25,000, an allowance of 5% for each additional adult and 2.5% for each child. The maximum limit was increased by €5,000 in 2011. However, the disparity between the various local authorities is a real problem and it should be bridged in order to give low income families in Clare the same opportunity to access social housing as low income families in other areas.

An increasing number of low income families are becoming at greater risk of homelessness. I appeal to the Minister to consider the situation which applies in my constituency of County Clare and increase the income limits in the context of the Social Housing Strategy 2020.

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