Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to discuss the housing assistance payment, HAP. Nearly 59,000 households are supported by means of this payment and many of us on the ground know that those in receipt of it are struggling to pay their rent. Many of them are topping up their HAP to their landlords so that they can stay in their homes. Topping up HAP was never meant to be the case. The system is significantly flawed. Unfortunately, landlords are reluctant to take on HAP tenants. The system does not give tenants any security of tenure. We need to review it. There are so many people in receipt of HAP that it would be difficult to phase it out overnight, but we need to consider a system of longer-term tenancies. This could incentivise landlords to take on HAP tenants and would give tenants a longer security of tenure. Will the Deputy Leader ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to come to the House for a debate on HAP and what we can do to review, improve or possibly get rid of it? We need a better system for tenants. We will be relying on the private rental market, but we need to do better for tenants. I would appreciate a debate on this matter.

Many colleagues, including Senator Buttimer, have spoken on my next point. Many of us are on WhatsApp groups and not a day goes by that I do not receive what someone thinks is a funny anti-vax video or gif about the vaccine. The anti-vax campaign has taken off. We are naive. We must do much more to act as strong ambassadors for the vaccine. I saw "Claire Byrne Live" last night where Mr. Johnny Giles did a fantastic job as ambassador for the vaccine, but it is incumbent on us as local representatives in our communities to show people that we are not afraid to take the vaccine and that, ultimately, vaccines create adults.