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

It is most disappointing this review is taking so long. I have told the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State himself in this Chamber that were the departmental officials to ring around to a few good housing officers in the local authorities, the review could be done within an hour. Any of us who make representations meet people on a weekly basis who cannot qualify for a council house. They do not have a hope of getting a mortgage. Those people are being condemned to a life of living in rented accommodation. It is surely within the competence of the Department to raise these limits to a realistic level.

The Minister of State observed that one of the factors in deciding the eligibility limits and the cut-off point was rental cost. Rental costs have changed dramatically in the past year to 18 months. The Minister of State's home area neighbours my own county. He knows what costs are like in Mullagh, Virginia, Ballyjamesduff, Bailieborough and across to Kingscourt. That is just in east Cavan alone. It is similar in Monaghan. Will the Minister of State ask the Department to try to bring forward that review well before the summer? I was told it would be published "shortly" two years ago. I was told it would be "in the near future" six months ago. Now, we are being told it will be the summer again. It is far too tardy a response to this issue. It needs to be dealt with before we continue to condemn a generation of people to living in rented accommodation.

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