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

Okay, that is fine. Thank you. I thank the Minister for coming to Carlow last week. Carlow is one of many rural towns and counties where I always say that while we always need more housing, we are doing very well. It is always important we recognise the work that has been done. We have seen it in the past four years of the Government. More houses have been built than in the previous nine years combined. I know the Minister's priority is and always will be housing for those on low and moderate incomes and people who need the affordable housing scheme, the help to buy scheme, the first home scheme and the property refurbishment scheme.

I know many families in my area are delighted with what they have got. I have been working with Carlow County Council, which I must praise. Families are happy. I always say we need a lot more but at least the Minister is making the changes. I know there have been challenges and we need to do more, but the Minister has been working very hard to make these changes. We see 12,000 units of social housing provided last year alone, but again, we need more.

I want to speak today about an area I believe we need to look at. I will speak about one case I am working on at present and it is very close to my heart. It is the case of lady who was born and bred in Carlow and who has worked all her life. Three years ago she had the most beautiful baby girl. The baby girl was born ten weeks premature with Down's syndrome, chronic lung disease, PVL from a bleed on her brain and she has some heart complications. Unfortunately, Irene - who said I could use her name - worked and did not qualify to go on the housing list, but a few months after her beautiful baby girl was born, she began working part-time for two days a week. This meant that a few months ago she qualified to go on Carlow County Council's housing list. I work on many cases. This little girl has six nurses a week supporting the mother. They also work with Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. This little girl, who is beautiful, has oxygen with her full time. The mother is with her baby in a sitting room on a couch and the child has so many medical needs that one little room is full of her medicinal products. We have looked and we cannot get Irene HAP. We have tried but because she is working part-time, it is not possible. As the Minister knows, it is very difficult to get a rental property. I have contacted Carlow County Council on several occasions. The Minister knows I work very well with Carlow County Council. It is telling me that Irene cannot be housed as a priority because such a priority does not exist.

I have to say I have dealt with many cases where children are sick but in this case six nurses a week are helping the mother. Like previous speakers, I ask whether the Minister can prioritise a child who is sick. Thank God she is doing well. When she was born, she was called the miracle baby. She is known everywhere as the miracle baby. The mother is so proud of her, as is the family. I need to get this little girl housed. We cannot put this mother and daughter into emergency accommodation because she is vulnerable. We cannot put her somewhere where she might pick up something. Can we start prioritising and looking at this? I sent the Minister an email today and I know he will deal with it because I know how hard he works.

Another area I want to ask about is with regard to cancer patients, some of whom I am working with at the moment. The Minister has provided Carlow County Council with five extra housing staff and I thank him for this but, as with all local authorities and I have said this to the Minister over and over, Carlow County Council needs more staffing. When people apply to go on the housing list, it can take up to eight to ten weeks. As I have said with regard to cancer patients, we need to start prioritising people who need to be on the housing list and who might need more support. This is very important. I work with Carlow County Council and the staff there and I compliment them on the work they do. While there needs to be change in prioritisation and how we do it overall, it is important to say we would not meet better staff. I know they are under pressure.

It was very important that the Minister met our firefighters when he was in Carlow. He has extended the age of retirement from 60 to 62. People would have had to retire from Carlow fire service at the age of 60 but this has been changed to 62. One particular man shook the Minister's hand and told him he had the two extra years. Of course there are stipulations whereby people must be fit, do their tests and qualify, but extending it was a boost for firefighters throughout the country. They can extend their time once they are fit and able to work to 62. This is the work being done that people do not realise. I thank the Minister and I will send him details of the cases I mentioned.

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