Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister and Minister of State should go back and read the Act because I do not believe they have any understanding of what they are looking to do and what we are looking to do. We are looking to protect one of the few things that the previous Minister, Deputy O'Brien, did when he was in office by listening to all the Opposition parties when we put forward a tenant in situ scheme as a way of preventing homelessness. I will put an idea to the Minister of State. As a Corkman, he should understand this. There were 1,874 families and individuals given notices to quit in 2024. Cork City Council purchased 79 homes under the tenant in situ scheme, which prevented 79 families becoming homeless and going into emergency accommodation. There is something else the Minister of State might understand as a Corkman. Right now, a couple can get €877.50 on HAP. Does the Minister of State know how many properties in Cork are listed on Daft.ie today to rent for that amount of money? How many? The answer to that questions is none. The Minister of State talked about making changes to one of the few things that the Government got to work. Does he realise the cruelty his Government is inflicting on people now? It will drive families and people into both homelessness and emergency accommodation.

Cork City Council has overachieved. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs come in here criticising local authorities. We have a local authority that is doing it right, beating the targets and getting more people in. What is the Government going to do? It is going to limit the numbers. The decision to row back on this is a disgrace. The first thing the Minister is going to do will be to increase the level of homelessness. The Government brought in a scheme a number of years ago to ban evictions. The question must be asked about the banning of evictions and the getting rid of the tenant in situ scheme: who got to the Ministers and who got to the Government?

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