Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Mr. Joe Walsh, a brilliant former Minister for Agriculture and Food who protected the country from foot and mouth disease. Mr. Walsh was a gentleman at all times under pressure and a personal friend. I look forward to the House being afforded an opportunity to pay proper tributes to him.

On my way to Clonakilty yesterday, I received an emergency call from a lady in Dundrum, where I live, informing me that a woman living in a rented property in the area had been ordered to leave her home because she could no longer afford to pay the rent. The lady in question has four small children, the eldest of whom, a young teenager, suffers from depression. She was distraught at the prospect of spending the night on the streets. Friends in the area telephoned Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to seek support for her. I compliment council staff on the empathy and sympathy they showed to the lady in question. They organised and secured a place for her and her family on Gardiner Street, which is not especially close to her former home. She had to leave her home because she could not afford to pay her rent which her landlord had increased by €300 per month. My duty is to help those in society who are less well off. That is the motivation that drives me and about which I am passionate. I support Senator Aideen Hayden in her mission to help people who are homeless. While everybody knows that the shortage of housing is a problem, we also have landlords increasing rents without compassion, which has had the effect of forcing a person with four small children onto the streets. I call for a debate on developments in the property market. While we all understand the law of supply and demand, justice must be done for the weaker in society.