Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Countless people have contacted my office about the lack of affordable housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan. Perhaps the Minister could advise me on what to say when constituents contact me wondering what they should do when the local authority informs them that they are over the threshold for social housing. Perhaps they have got a few extra shifts at work or had their hours increased and so they no longer qualify for social housing. However, that means they no longer qualify for any sort of housing support payment, but they cannot afford to rent a property at the current market values. They have a decision to make, and it frequently results in them turning down work or extra shifts or refusing to claim a social welfare payment to which they are entitled because they must restrict their income in order to qualify for social housing or, to be more exact, qualify for social housing supports. They are individuals or couples who are quite happy to work and to increase their hours to support themselves and their families. They would quite happily rent privately but they cannot afford to do so. The alternative is for them to try to squash in with parents, which is not always an option or to become homeless. Even properties of a very low standard that are dark, damp and mouldy and do not have sufficient space are being rented to families and individuals for exorbitant rents. These are places that no one would rent if they had any sort of choice. They are houses that are in bad condition and that are bad for people's health and for their physical and mental well-being, but they have no choice.

To rent a three-bed property in Cavan costs approximately €900 per month. According to the Residential Tenancies Board, average rents in Cavan have risen by 27% in four years and in Monaghan by 17%. Couples whose relationship has ended are being forced to continue living together as they cannot afford to live in separate dwellings due to lack of availability and affordability.

There are no properties of any description available at any cost in my constituency. Last week, a constituent told me there were six properties available for rent and she could afford none of them. Action has to be taken to deal with this problem because it is getting worse and worse and people are worried and stressed out about how to afford the rent. They are being forced into poverty.

The Minister must begin a programme of building affordable houses for rent and for purchase. Housing need throughout this country is at crisis point and action needs to be taken. From listening to young people, they have told me they are going to emigrate because they cannot afford any reasonable standard of living in this country.

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