Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

I oppose the amendment. I am not sure whether it will be pressed. I welcome the announcement that the community welfare officers will be transferred to the Department of Social Protection. That represents an holistic move. It is far better to have the staff within the one Department. We may need to examine the relationship between the RAS and local councils.

I support the Minister's idea that the PPS numbers of 100% of landlords should be provided. This one small move will assist in stamping out potential problems or fraud in this area. The amendment would play greatly with landlord and tenant laws and affect rights to tenancies if the Government is paying the rent. This was touched upon by the Minister. The amendment cannot be accepted for this reason. I understand the sentiment behind the Labour Party's amendment but I do not believe its objective can be achieved in this way. PPS numbers would assist in addressing the matter.

With regard to the Minister's pronouncement on social housing and the comparison between the Irish and German models, we could have a debate on this in the next term. I fully support and agree with the Minister's view.