Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I complement the Senators on the amendment because this gets to the nub of the problem with the rental sector, namely, the insecurity. I presume the Minister has had the same experiences where families have had to move three, four or five times and their children have had to shift schools. That brings a level of insecurity and the breakdown of friendships, so anything that gives a little bit more security to families has to be welcomed. I very much welcome the amendments because this will give more security to people in the private rental sector and, it is hoped, allow people to be a lot more comfortable in the rental sector. That is the reason there is major and understandable resistance on the part of families to taking up the housing assistance payment, HAP, because they feel very insecure in that rental sector because their experience of it has been very poor, and I gave the example of parents having to change the school their children attend on several occasions. This affects the children's educational outcomes because the different schools may be at a different points in the curriculum. I urge the Minister to look closely at these amendments and, if it at all possible, accept them.