Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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I would have liked to have seen the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the House because this is a very important issue. I have dealt with several constituents over the past while who are stuck in the gap between the social housing income threshold and the income thresholds for the new Land Development Agency cost-rental projects. Many people find themselves in this position and as more of the cost-rental projects come online, we will see more middle-income earners realise they earn too much for social housing but too little to be able to afford cost-rental housing.

In 2022, in the wake of the first cost-rental competitions, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage said "the completion of the first purpose-built Cost Rental homes in Ireland is evidence of affordable housing becoming a reality for citizens" and "Cost Rental housing addresses the affordability challenges faced by those on moderate incomes who wish to rent a home."  As more and more people find themselves stuck above one income threshold, the idea that cost rental is targeting moderate earners who cannot avail of social housing has been shown not to be the reality. Over the past few weeks, two cost-rental projects have opened for applications. In both cases, the difference between the social housing threshold and the threshold applied for the cost rental was greater than €6,000. The social housing threshold is €40,000 for a single person in both Dublin and Kildare but a person would need to earn more than €46,525 for the Harpur Lane development, which is an LDA cost-rental project in Leixlip, or above €46,286 for the Parklands LDA cost-rental project in Citywest. Both of these prices are for the lowest threshold unit available. For families the situation is even starker. In The Quarter project in Citywest the minimum yearly net income to qualify for a three-bedroom apartment would be €60,000. For a family of two adults and two children, the kind that would need a three-bedroom home, the social housing income threshold would be €44,000 a year. This leaves a €16,000 gap for families.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, show that in 2021 average earnings were €44,523 a year. For a single-income household this would place an average earner up to €4,500 over the social income threshold and some €2,000 below the threshold for Harpur Lane or Parklands, and more than €15,000 below the income threshold for a three-bedroom unit in The Quarter in Citywest. I do not know how cost-rental housing is targeting middle earners if the average earner cannot afford to apply for it. The whole concept of cost rental was that middle earners would be able to benefit.

One constituent who called my office has been working within this gap with a household income of €47,832. The project they were applying for was the Donore project in Kilternan. At a threshold of €1,450 a week for two-bedroom unit, the household is €55 a week short of the cost-rental scheme, and yet above the social housing threshold. Surely this family is exactly who cost-rental schemes should be targeting.

In Housing For All the cost-rental policy states, "This measure is being targeted at middle income households with incomes above the social housing limits." This is rapidly not becoming the case. What does the Government plan to do to address the gap they have created between social housing and the cost-rental income thresholds as more and more people and families find themselves stuck in the middle without access to affordable or social housing? The gap needs to be filled either by adjusting the local authority housing thresholds or by the Government subsidising a cross-rental housing assistance payment, HAP, which could be reduced as earnings rise.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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The Minister of State said that social housing support is provided for those most in need. Years ago, in the 1970s and so on, social housing was provided to bus drivers, train drivers, post office workers and shop workers on an average income. Such workers were able to go on the housing list and many got social housing. That has changed drastically in recent decades. The concept of a cost-rental model was initiated by Tom Healy of the Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, in 2018 and was supported by the St. Michael's regeneration campaign. It was based on inclusion for all, security of tenure and ensuring that the homes were affordable to those applying. The general concept was that the rent would be one third of people's wages rather than being based on inflation, the private market or anything like that.

I welcome the fact that the Minister is looking at reviewing the thresholds but he should seriously look at bringing in something that would help families that are currently not able to get on the local authority housing list or secure a cost-rental property. I do not know whether the Minister of State took notice of it but my point was about a family with a household income of €47,832. They were applying for the Dun Óir project in Kilternan. This project has a threshold of €1,450 a week for a two-bedroom home. The gap between this family's income and the cap on this cost-rental scheme is €55 a week. Surely that could be addressed through something like a cost-rental HAP. As a person's earnings grow, that payment could be reduced. That should be looked at because, if you go on the social housing list, you could be waiting ten years before you get access to a home.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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Does the Minister of State know how long that process is going to take because this is happening now?