Social housing income thresholds
Deputy Boyd Barrett argued the long-promised review of social housing income thresholds was effectively culling people from waiting lists. The Taoiseach said he had sympathy with the issue and believed the review should be completed and thresholds increased.
Over years now, I have repeatedly asked about the social housing income thresholds being raised. I have been told by the last Government and this Government that they are being reviewed. This review has been going on for years and we are never given a date for when it is going to be completed. I have to draw the conclusion there is a systematic policy to cull people from the housing list because this is a threshold that has not been raised for a decade, guaranteeing thousands of people have lost their many years of waiting on the social housing lists. The latest incident I brought up last week with the Tánaiste was the case of a family who were on family income supplement in homeless accommodation, with a disabled wife and eight children, and they were thrown off the list. They are now being evicted even from homeless accommodation because the Government will not complete the review and reform the thresholds.
Comment on this
I met with Roscommon Fianna Fáil councillors yesterday and they were making that very point to me, including Councillor John Keogh and others. I have sympathy with the issue. I think the review should be brought to completion and the thresholds should be increased somewhat.
Comment on this
Get rid of the thresholds.