Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here, although I am disappointed that neither the Minister nor the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government could be here to address this issue. While I understand and respect the fact that all Government Ministers and Ministers of State are busy, the situation with regard to housing is at crisis point and deserves a response from the responsible Minister or Minister of State. That said, I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality for taking this Commencement matter today.

I wish to discuss whether there will be a change to the income threshold for qualification for a place on the housing list in Carlow. This is a very serious issue locally because genuine people who should qualify for social housing are being excluded at present. A family came to me recently seeking my help. They were earning between €350 and €400 per week and were in receipt of family income supplement, FIS. When people qualify for FIS, it means that they are not earning enough and need assistance in meeting their household needs. Despite this, the family was told that they did not qualify for registration on the housing list in Carlow. It is unacceptable that people who are working, trying to make ends meet and who qualify for FIS do not qualify for inclusion on the housing list.

I have consistently raised this issue and have been told that it is being examined. There are people in Carlow and in other counties in the low cap zone who are in limbo because they do not qualify for social housing under the current social housing income thresholds but they do not earn enough to be able to afford a mortgage. They need answers. They are not being included in the social housing waiting lists or on the emergency lists. Those lists are incomplete because these people are crying out for help but are not receiving it.

The most recent summary assessment of social housing needs published in September shows that the number of households in Carlow qualifying for social housing support from the local authority was just 499 which is not a true reflection of the situation on the ground, as evidenced by the number of people coming to my clinics. Seven years have passed since the last review. The social housing assessment regulation in 2011 set the maximum net income limits for each local authority in different bands, according to the area, with incomes being defined and assessed according to a standard household means policy. I understand that a new assessment was due to be done in the summer. There is now an urgent need to finalise this and to increase the income limits for social housing in Carlow and several other counties. There are no millionaires out there looking for help. These are real families who are working hard but are not getting a break. We need to give them a break.

Carlow currently has one of the lowest income thresholds in the entire country. The maximum net income threshold for a single person is €25,000, for a childless couple it is €26,250 and for one adult and one child it is €25,625. The threshold for two adults with one child it is €26,875, while for two adults with more than one child it is €27,500. This compares to a limit of €38,000 in Kildare for two adults with one child and €39,000 for two adults with more than one child. Not only is it unrealistic to have such a marked difference between two counties, the limits themselves are far too low for working adults. These limits provide an incentive to decline opportunities to increase household income. The aim of social welfare is to help people to get on their feet, not to force them onto their knees in order qualify for assistance. There is a difference of almost €11,000 in the income threshold between Kildare and Carlow, while the difference between Carlow and Kilkenny is €6,500. This is inexcusable and is putting enormous pressure on families in Carlow. The Government is well aware that unless a person is on the local authority housing list, he or she will not qualify for rent allowance or for the housing assistance payment, HAP. It is extraordinary that in the midst of a housing crisis, the Government is denying families who are under intense financial pressure access to the rent allowance and the HAP schemes. This Government must ensure that the income threshold in Carlow is increased and is brought in line with the thresholds in neighbouring counties. It must also allow families to earn a second income or to avail of promotion or overtime opportunities in order to better their living standards. We are condemning people by not allowing them to go onto our social housing waiting lists. We are not giving them a chance. What action is being taken by the Department and when will the review of social housing income thresholds be completed? We really need to help these people.These are the working poor. They qualify for nothing but pay out for everything. We want to help everybody. This is about everybody who needs to be on the housing list but is not able to get onto it.