Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

This amendment is not necessary. Subsection (3) will allow housing authorities, where they consider it necessary, to assess households which have been receiving rent supplement for a specified period which have not applied for local authority housing. These would generally be households which become known to the housing authority by virtue of them being potential clients of the rental accommodation scheme. It is not necessary to compel housing authorities to assess these households. They have not applied to the housing authority for social housing support and may not wish to do so in the future. However, the authority has the power, if necessary, to assess such a household for social housing support at any time. If a household, following on this subsection, requests that a social housing assessment be carried out, the housing authority is obliged to make an assessment under subsection (2). I ask the Senators to withdraw the amendment in those circumstances.