Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will briefly reiterate my call to the Minister of State on Second Stage to come before us for a more complete debate on the future of social housing. I know this is a minor, technical Bill but there are a number of issues which Members would like to discuss, particularly the supply of social housing, the Government's intentions in the treatment of social housing and, perhaps, a closer examination of the Government's housing policy statement and what it means for the future of social housing. It is a complex issue but we would be obliged if the Minister of State could return when we have more of an opportunity to discuss the broader issues rather than minor and technical matters.

I will take this opportunity, as the Leader suggested this morning, to bend the Minister of State's ear on something that is not her direct realm but which is important to the area of housing. It relates to the access of parents to housing where they are not the sole guardians of a child. The principle in the past has been that even though parents are separated or were never together, the non-principal carer will have access to appropriate housing to enable him or her to be able to have a full relationship with the child. Unfortunately, it has transpired in the middle of a recession that this is not occurring. If a child has a home with one parent, they are deemed to be suitably housed. That is the approach taken by the local authorities. I am concerned about that because it takes away from the right of the child to have a full family life with both parents and the right of the parent to have a full family life with that child. I ask the Minister of State to consider making a directive to local authorities that the right of families to a full family life needs to taken into consideration in allocation policies.