Richard Boyd Barrett condemns social housing income thresholds
Richard Boyd Barrett criticised the minister's refusal to raise income thresholds for social housing, saying hundreds of working applicants are being removed from waiting lists. He detailed individual cases — Sinead, Lorraine, Vanessa and Orla — to illustrate the impact and said a two-year promise to act has not been fulfilled.
Alleged impact on applicants
The speech set out four specific cases of applicants removed or reassessed: Sinead, eight years on the list, was thrown off after three months of temporary overtime; Lorraine was removed after 15 years when her husband did extra hours and their relationship broke under stress; Vanessa lost 15 years on the list after a reassessment just before she was due to get a house and now faces eviction from private rented accommodation; Orla was reassessed because her husband’s income was included despite him not living with her and lost her accumulated years. The speaker said these cullings are happening every single week to working people unable to afford excessive rents or to buy on the open market.
Criticism of ministerial inaction
The speaker accused the minister of failing to act despite a two-year promise to address income thresholds for social housing eligibility. He directly challenged the minister’s inaction, declaring "Time is up" and urging change after repeated reassessments removed long-standing applicants.
Housing Agency review and proposed reforms
In response, the minister noted that the Housing Agency is looking at the income thresholds for social housing eligibility. He said a series of related reforms - covering how social housing is managed, from rents to succession rights and tenant purchase - need to be connected with any changes to income eligibility.
Next steps and policy timetable
The minister said the work on these linked reforms is awaiting the outcome of a larger package of social housing reforms, which he described as almost complete and almost ready to go to Cabinet. The remarks framed changes to income thresholds as part of a broader reform package rather than a standalone measure.
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Mr Murphy's refusal to raise the income thresholds for social housing. Hundreds and hundreds of housing applicants, working people, hard-working people, are being thrown off the list. It's happening every week. To give you some examples, Sinead, eight years on the list, thrown off the list because she did three months temporary overtime for a sick colleague. Lorraine, thrown off the list after 15 years because her husband was doing some extra hours at work. The stress broke their relationship up. Vanessa, 15 years on the list, reassessed just before she was about to get a house, thrown off the list, lost her 15 years, is now facing eviction from private rented accommodation. Orla, reassessed because her husband, who actually didn't live with her anymore, his income was included in the assessment, thrown off the list, loses all her years on the list. This is going on every single week. These are working people but whose income is too low to be able to pay the excessive rents or buy on the open market and they are being culled week after week from the list and the Minister had promised for two years, Count Corlea, that he would do something about these income thresholds. Nothing done. Time is up. Thank you, Minister Murphy. The Housing Agency is looking at the income thresholds for social housing eligibility. There are a number of reforms that we need to make in relation to how we manage social housing homes, from rents to succession rights, to tenant purchase and also to income eligibility thresholds. In order for them to make sense, they have to be connected to each other and so that work is awaiting the outcome of a larger package of social housing reforms, which is almost at completion and almost ready to go to Cabinet. Thank you. Thank you.
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