Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no choice while we are waiting for social housing to be built. People have to live somewhere. There is a reliance on the HAP and other schemes. We accept that it involves the private sector, but many in the private sector are helping us to provide housing solutions. It is accepted that in the short term we will have to do so, while we increase the social housing stock. There is no other way of doing it. People cannot be left without a house.

I hear every day of the week that the HAP scheme is not working. We all accept that in some cases it has not worked out ideally for everybody, but 40,000 people are using the scheme which was introduced by the previous Government as an improvement on the rent assistance scheme because it allowed people to go back to work. I remember having meetings with Deputy Joan Burton when she was Minister when the scheme was being devised. It is a good scheme which works well for thousands, although I accept that it has not worked well for others.

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