Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The incremental purchase scheme for newly-built houses allows people who qualify for social housing to buy designated newly-built houses from a local authority or AHB at a discount price. The issue is there does not seem to be one or two that one can buy singly. My understanding from the local authority is it has to be a group scheme. This is a really good scheme. I am wondering can we look at this that they can be purchased one-off, two together or three together because there is such a good discount on it. We need to look at it.

The other issue I want to ask the Taoiseach about is homelessness. I see it in Carlow recently, where we need a lot more accommodation and we need more limited accommodation. The biggest issue is that if one becomes homeless and one goes down for one's social welfare, one cannot collect it because one has no address. Parents are now coming back to me saying that they cannot take their children back into their house as they will lose their benefits. I know there are challenges. I know a lot of really good work has been done but I believe that is an area that we need to address urgently.

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