Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to talk about the housing list system used by county councils throughout the State. My county, County Westmeath, has over 2,000 people on the council housing list, as referred to earlier. The system is totally dysfunctional. There needs to be a serious review of how we treat people who are looking for housing from the State. Most people in the system are housed in the private sector. Many of them are quite happy with where they are housed. I am curious in that we often have figures and lists that are totally unfit for purpose. There has to be a better way of identifying the people in serious need of housing. They should be on top of the list. When the councils start to build and acquire houses again, these people should be accommodated.