Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The tenant in situ purchase scheme was a means of saving people from homelessness. It is frightening that Louth County Council, which was provided €18.884 million last year for social housing acquisitions, has only been provided €12 million this year. That is a reduction of 36%. The previous Deputy spoke about the tighter constraints and conditions. In my engagement with Louth County Council, it said it will be able to apply this scheme to fewer people. People in the same circumstances as those who previously were saved from homelessness will not be saved now. There needs to be a rethink of a scheme that actually saved people from homelessness.

I ask for a timeline for the publication of rural housing guidelines. We were told they were with the Attorney General over the summer. We all know the difficulties people have. They just want to know that they will, if they follow decent planning conditions, be able to build and live in the areas they are from. It is necessary. We have to look at planning as it concerns the modular and log cabin-type buildings discussed earlier. Like everyone else, I have been contacted by multiple people. We need to get on with that work. I understand it is a solution for a small number of people but it is necessary. We need to look beyond what is being spoken about at the moment.

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