Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I want to give assurance that, especially when it comes to older people served with an eviction notice, we will move heaven and earth to help them and find a solution.

Whether it be through our local authorities or approved housing bodies or the interventions we are supporting at a national level, we will help people and we will find solutions. We will not allow older people to be in that situation. That does not remove the stress felt when an eviction notice is served on them, which I recognise. As a State, we have a good record of treating older people with dignity and respect and we will support them and find solutions in those individual cases where these issues arise. There is a wider systemic issue and it is about us ensuring we meet the demand and the needs that are undoubtedly there and that will grow in the future. As the Deputy knows, when it comes to pension decisions and so on, those will be considered in the context of a budget in the coming months.

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