Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister not to have a long-term review. He should get his officials to speak to good officials in the housing sections in local authorities. They know the difficulties that arise every day. I know from speaking to officials in my local authorities that they are refusing people the opportunity to join the social housing list but they know these people have no chance of getting a mortgage or a loan to buy their own premises or build their own house. This situation needs to be addressed and a review should be very short. Perhaps Cavan-Monaghan has particularly low income eligibility limits. If the Minister could ask his officials to ask about the Cavan-Monaghan situation I hope we could get the income limits increased.

There is a need to do this. The people involved in the cases I have cited are being denied a right to even be considered for social housing. I appeal to the Minister to deal with it urgently.

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