Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Child benefit rates will increase, which I am sure Senator Moloney will mention, while tax reliefs will be introduced for water charges.

It is good that what is known as the "double Irish" arrangement will be eliminated, as it has brought the country into disrepute while, at the same time, the Minister has gone a long way to maintaining Ireland's attractiveness for foreign direct investment with measures to encourage intellectual property development, research and development and so forth.

I welcome, in particular, the measures announced regarding housing, including the €10.5 million increase in funding for homeless services. This is a recognition by the Government of the work being done on the front line in homelessness prevention and dealing with people who have become homeless because of the economic collapse. Homelessness is a result of nothing other than the collapse of the economy and we need to wake up to that. The home renovation scheme will be extended to rental properties. I had raised this with the Minister because one in five families live in a rental property and the role of landlords and the rental sector has to be acknowledged. I am pleased the housing programme represents a major departure. It is a significant sign that the Government is taking the housing difficulties we face seriously in the context of its investment in the social housing programme.