Seanad debates

Wednesday, 29 June 2022

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:00 am

Photo of Martin ConwayMartin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I met a number of fishermen from Killybegs, County Donegal, with our colleague, Deputy McHugh. We need a debate on the fishing industry, particularly around the issue of licensing, upgrading of equipment and so on. The fishing industry has such potential in this country that is untapped. Clearly, it needs much greater Government support. I would appreciate it if we had that debate at some stage. We could all learn a lot from it and it would certainly inform the Government.

On housing, I agree with Senator Gavan regarding the income levels to qualify for HAP and social housing. We have a situation in County Clare where the upper limit for a family, a husband and wife with two children, is €28,000. It is completely unrealistic to have the income limit at that level in today's world. I have also dealt with a number of people from abroad who have been living in Ireland for a significant period but whose names may be associated with a property in a place such as Poland. In effect, the property is worthless but they are automatically excluded from social housing or HAP simply because their name is associated with a property in Poland. We need to look at that again because these people are working in this country, their lives are here and their children are going to school in this country. Yet we have a situation where, since their names happen to be associated with properties, they are completely excluded from the social housing infrastructure. In some cases, they may not be able to take their names off the properties because they could be part of a family structure. That is something that needs to be looked at.

I welcome the various pre-budget briefings that are taking place today and have taken place over the past number of days. Certainly, family carers were in Buswells Hotel, as were members of the Society of St. Vincent St. Paul. The presentations they give are quite stark. The cost of living is impacting on many people in a devastating way. The budget process has to begin earlier. I would like to see the budget happen in September, as opposed to October in order that interventions can happen earlier.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.