Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The allocation scheme is a mechanism for housing authorities to fairly and transparently allocate dwellings to individual households. Subsection (4) empowers the Minister to make regulations governing the matters that housing authorities must include in their allocation schemes, including the manner of allocation of different categories of dwelling and the order or priority of their allocation. Including a policy objective of preventing or reducing homelessness within this framework would not be appropriate.

It is a fundamental principle of the scheme that it responds to need. Where a need such as homelessness has been identified, there is sufficient scope in subsection (5) for a housing authority to reserve a portion of dwellings in its area for the allocation to such households. The broader strategy on the prevention and reduction of homelessness will be addressed through the proposed statute-based local homeless action plans, which I have just discussed.

In light of the ongoing work, which will address the Senators' concerns, and the interpretation of current provisions in subsection (20), will they withdraw the amendment?