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

As already said by Deputies across both sides of this Chamber, the reality is there are a very large number of people on very low wages and they are literally being excluded from the social housing list on the basis of anomalies that might appear in their income in a particular year because of shift allowances and so on. This may leave them in a set of circumstances where they cannot rent. I am aware of a number of people in Dundalk in the past while who have been refused in a situation where a circumstance has changed.

Previously, local authorities were able to make a determination on the basis of a four-week period. Now it is done over the entire year, so if anything was to happen, for example, if there was a period where a person was working extra time, and sometimes this can be required in healthcare setting, then their place on the waiting list is null and void and they are incapable of getting themselves on the housing list. They are absolutely screwed and are really on borrowed time.

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