Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the past seven weeks, if the HAP had not been rolled out in Donegal, 40 applicants would have got rent allowance because they would have submitted on their form that they were under the rent limits and they would have been approved. What the Minister of State says bears no reality to the situation on the ground. I would be interested to see if he would go back and ask Donegal County Council for how many of those 40 applicants was the rent at or below the HAP limit. That would show first-hand from the Minister of State's own officials what the situation is.

The Minister of State can get an official in the Department to spend two minutes on a computer and see the position on rent limits and whether the HAP limit is suitable or not. That would be a simple exercise for him to do and it would show that the HAP limits are not viable or realistic for anybody.

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