Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Everybody accepts the need to get to the end of this review and that income thresholds need to be looked at. Basically, they need to go up. We have major issues in relation to people who are caught in the poverty trap and cannot afford housing without housing assistance payments. This needs to be dealt with. I spoke to the Minister previously about the assessment situation. There are added difficulties with the new means by which local authorities are carrying out assessments. They have spoken to us about this and their fear that the means by which assessments are being done will create a larger number of people who will fail to meet the criteria. That is something that is being looked at. I have been promised a briefing from officials and I will definitely take this on.

I will also come back to the Minister and the Ministers of State regarding maintenance issues in Louth County Council and the requirement for a solution. The Minister said he is open to this. I will do so in the next couple of days.

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