Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We should all be actively supporting the building of additional housing in our communities. He deserves no reward, nor thanks, nor pats on the back for not opposing thousands of new homes in his constituency, or even for supporting them. Between April 2021 and May 2022 he has opposed 1,315 new homes in his constituency. Where would those people be living now Deputy, if he had his way? However, to answer his question, we have not made a decision yet on the extension of the eviction ban. We will make a decision on that quite soon. There are pros and cons to be weighed up. As I mentioned before, 30,000 people come home from abroad to live in Ireland every year. These are Irish citizens coming home. They do not all own houses and apartments but many of them do, more than the Deputy might think, and them not being able to move back into their own houses is a problem. Also, there are people throughout the country who bought an apartment in the city for when their kids go to college. We have to take that into account as well. We will take all these issues into account.

In regard to HAP, we keep the thresholds and the amounts paid under review all the time. They have been increased in the past. It remains under review as to whether to increase them again.

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