We saw a small acknowledgement of the cost-of-living crisis from the Government. In reality, however, it will not even begin to alleviate the pain and suffering I am seeing on the ground in County Donegal. We need action on rents too, and one aspect of that is the housing assistance payment, HAP.

HAP limits have not increased since 2016. Rents have increased significantly in that time, however. In 2021 alone, the average rent in County Donegal increased by almost 20%. I know from talking to people on the ground, such as the Donegal Travellers Project, that this is a continuing trend in 2022. The HAP rate per week is a miserly €64.51 for a single adult in shared accommodation, rising to €121 for a family of five. Most people are making significant additional payments to their landlords and, therefore, live in poverty, the alternative being homelessness. There is no hope of getting a house either because of the Government's policies. Will the Government increase the HAP limits to reflect reality or, at the very least, instruct local authorities to grant the maximum flexibility of 20% in all cases?

My understanding is that there is provision within the HAP arrangements for increased flexibility under certain circumstances, and that is the appropriate mechanism of dealing with the particular circumstances rather than a universal increase.