Seanad debates
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed)
While it is clear from the text that the rent arrears must have arisen in a three-year period prior to the assessment for ineligibility to arise, it is somewhat ambiguous as to whether the period also applies to a breach of a tenancy agreement. Thus, I am introducing an official amendment to make it clear that only breaches of a tenancy agreement that occurred in the three years immediately prior to the carrying out of a social housing assessment will render the household ineligible for social housing support. This will bring the proposed provision for taking tenancy breaches into account in social housing assessments in line with that for rent arrears. The existing subsection (5) does not confine the breach of a condition of a tenancy agreement to a three-year period immediately prior to the assessment. In view of this, I ask Senators to withdraw amendments Nos. 36 and 37.
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