Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What I have heard in the Minister of State's speech is essentially what the local authorities are saying on the ground. It is not his responsibility; it is the local authority's responsibility. In the case of the local authorities they tell people they are not refusing homeless support because they have told them to go to Midlands Simon Community. That is not tangible support. People cannot live in guidance documents. They cannot live in workshops, worthy as they may be. It does not take a mathematician to work out the number of notices to quit across counties Longford and Westmeath versus the 20 properties available to rent today.

I will put another issue to the Minister of State. We have all of this talk about the right of first refusal but if a young couple in my constituency are paying between €1,200 and €1,500 per month in rent, where are they to get a deposit to buy the property?

See this speech in context