Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

What is the State getting out of this? We continue to provide reasons for private landlords to buy houses to rent, to give them facilities that are not really adequate and to encourage individuals to do all sorts of funny things with rent because there is a cap on how much money can be paid. This is not right. I acknowledge that there have been some changes to the scheme but one must ask why the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government or the local authorities are not buying houses and taking rent allowances to pay the mortgages? Why are we making landlords richer than they had ever imagined they would be? This is not acceptable and we ought to have a vision.

The Minister of State will be aware that there is a national emergency in Galway. He may not be aware that many families on the breadline, who do not have enough money most weeks to pay for their electricity, food and children's requirements, need to boil every single pint of water.