The cost-rental tenant in situ scheme is working very well and has been set up on an administrative basis.

I did not interrupt the Deputy once. I ask him to let me answer. The cost-rental tenant in situ scheme does exist. It is administered by the Housing Agency and we have purchased more than 200 homes in that space already.

Let me answer the question.

The Deputy is in bad form today. I do not know why.

I will attempt to answer the question because I respect Members when they ask questions. They might respect that I always speak through the Chair.

I always speak through the Chair. Very clearly, with regard to exhausting other options that are available, if a tenant receives a notice to quit, there may be other options available and those should be looked at. It could be a social housing allocation, which happens in many instances. So far this year, 4,210 adult preventions and exits have been achieved. I want to talk about allocations. In quarters 1 and 2 of this year, 947 households exited emergency accommodation. This was the Deputy's original question. Tha…

It is very good.

Deputy Wynne asked about capital and the provision of funding to local authorities to continue the e tenant in situ scheme. That is in place. Deputy Ó Broin referred to a June circular. I wrote to the local authorities after that - in July last. I have said this in the House on a number of occasions and have engaged directly, as I do, with the chief executives and directors of services in all of our 31 local authorities. They are very clear that this scheme is proceeding and continuing. I want the local authorities…

Just to bring a bit of reality to this conversation, the Deputy will know that the previous Minister for Finance appointed Dr. Donal de Buitléir to undertake an independent examination of the standard fund threshold, which was reduced in 2014. As a Government, our main focus in respect of pensions, particularly for middle-income workers, is to ensure that they have pension provisions and that we have a good State pension provision as well. Since this Government entered office, the weekly State pension has increased…

Sinn Féin has proposed to reduce it to 20%,-----

-----which would reduce the pension tax relief that they receive. Regarding the Government's decision, the Minister for Finance considered the independent de Buitléir report carefully, taking into account its recommendations. If the Deputy has seen the report, then he will know that we have not accepted all of its recommendations. The Government has agreed to implement a staggered approach to changes in the standard fund threshold, with some changes to be legislated for this year, but no changes will take effect un…

Our focus has always been on, in the first instance, average workers and those who assist them in making provision for their pensions and, in the second, ensuring a continued increase in the State pension, which the Government has always prioritised. We will make it a priority in this budget as well. There has been an increase of €29 in the standard weekly State pension since this Government entered office. We need to see increases in pension provision for and pension take-up by workers. That is why measures such a…

It is nothing of the sort, and the Deputy knows that. I do not know whether the issue of pensions is a matter he discussed when he went to London to meet potential investors in this country recently. This is about acting on an independent report that has come forward. In a very phased way from 2026, the standard funding threshold will be increased. While we are doing that, the Government has been reforming the pension arrangements in this country and is bringing forward auto-enrolment for workers, which is really i…

It is not crumbs.

About 50% of people in this country have made pension provisions themselves. That is it. About 50% do not have any pension provision. That is our absolute focus. That is why we need to keep things such as the ability to claim tax relief at the marginal rate, not like the Sinn Féin proposal that any average worker out there who is earning will pay more in tax.

I will send Deputy Doherty the documentation from Sinn Féin that proposes to reduce the pension tax relief to the standard rate. That would be a real cost to workers and people.

I thank Deputy Bacik for her questions and comments. Those in emergency accommodation and homelessness remain the number one challenge for this Government. In a number of counties across the country, we are seeing continued decreases in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation and increasing exits from such accommodation. In quarter 2, 630 households were able to exit emergency homelessness accommodation into safe and secure homes. The big focus for me and this Government is to continue the increase in social …

We will hit our social housing target this year. We have delivered over 6,000 affordable housing solutions this year. When we came into government, there were no affordable housing solutions. There was no cost-rental housing or secure tenancies for working people. Nearly 2,000 tenancies have been put in place through cost rental that we legislated for and funded. We will see a continued increase in house building and delivery across the country. In the past 12 months, there have been over 50,000 housing starts. Reg…

We have to make sure that where people end up in a situation where they do not have a home, they are supported in the best possible accommodation that can be provided for them for as short a time as possible. That is the reason for the Government support this year to the tune of €242 million for homelessness and emergency services and we will add a supplementary to that this year. I have always given the commitment to the NGOs in the sector that whatever funding is needed will be given. Last week, Focus Ireland ack…

-----on behalf of our citizens. It is the most significant investment that has ever been made in the history of the State. However, we are dealing with a situation of significant under-delivery over a ten-year period and catching up on the pent-up demand. Homelessness and exiting people from it remain the number one focus of me and the Government.