Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief as my colleague, Senator Ruane, has already spoken on this amendment. This is a safety measure which I am sure the Minister has already assured my colleague on. The aim of the amendment is to make it very clear that nothing in this section should be to the detriment of obligations on housing authorities in respect of social housing. There is a concern here because we often hear narratives about "social and affordable" housing. They get pulled together as a package deal and affordable housing becomes equated with social housing but we have an extraordinarily strong need for social housing in this State. Social housing plays an incredibly important role and is the foundation for many families to be able to live predictable and secure lives. There are many people who will not fall into this cohort, especially given how affordability is pitched but leaving that aside, social housing has a key role. We want to make it clear, in the context of this Bill, that we are not losing sight of the key and central role for housing authorities in respect of the provision of social housing and that there is no sense of resources being diverted from one area into another, that this is an addition rather than a re-routing.