Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Government's refusal to raise the income thresholds for social housing or social housing supports means that thousands of people affected by the housing crisis are being denied any assistance. Here is an example communicated to me yesterday. Leaving out the name, the message stated the woman concerned, her husband and her two children were homeless in Nenagh. It went on to say the family had been told by the council that the woman earned too much to receive any help, with the result that these people are now staying in a tent. As winter approaches, she said she was very worried for two children, both of whom are autistic, and how they will be able to manage.

In another communication the person spoke of already being stressed about returning on Saturday to emergency accommodation where the person concerned had been for four years. The person was back to sharing a room with their 14-year-old son. They said they were being left to rot in emergency accommodation with no way out and feels trapped. The person said they hate living in this country because the Government is doing nothing. This person is working but cannot afford to rent or buy a home. They are also affected by the income threshold . What are the Taoiseach and his Government going to do about this scandal where people in the situations I have described are even being denied the housing assistance payment, never mind social housing?

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