Councillor Niall McNelis is calling on the Housing Minister James Browne to publish the long-awaited review of Housing Assistance Payment limits and increase housing supports generally.
In September, the Simon Communities of Ireland published its latest “Locked Out of the Market” report, which found that only 12 properties were within HAP limits across 16 areas surveyed nationally.
“What use is an approval for housing support if you cannot find a single home you can afford?” asks McNelis. “Renters need somewhere to live. They cannot pay the rent with another promise from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“The latest Simon Communities report should force Minister Browne to act. Just 12 properties across the 16 areas surveyed fell within HAP limits, even when discretionary increases counted. That figure has fallen from 20 in June.” Eleven areas had no properties within the limits at all.
The findings “expose a housing support system that bears little relation to the rental market.” The HAP means very little to people in Galway if they still cannot secure a home with the due to high prices, he says.
“For households with children, the survey found no properties within standard HAP limits. Think about what that means for parents trying to keep their children settled in school, hold down a job and stay close to grandparents or childcare. They need stability, yet the search for an affordable home can pull them further from everything that keeps family life together.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael chose not to increase HAP limits in Budget 2027 despite repeated warnings. That choice leaves people chasing rents with support that has fallen behind. The Minister cannot keep pointing people towards the private rental market while refusing to address whether they can afford anything in it.”
Labour’s Alternative Budget provided €65 million to phase in HAP limit increases of up to 15%. Raising the limit, says McNelis, would offer immediate practical support. “Alongside that, we need councils to build and deliver more publicly owned homes, including in Galway, so that fewer households must depend on private landlords for their housing needs.
“Minister Browne must publish the HAP review immediately, raise HAP limits to reflect actual rents and increase social housing income thresholds in line with rising living costs. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must also fund councils to deliver the affordable homes our communities need. Families in Galway cannot wait for another report while their options disappear. The Minister has the evidence and the power to act. He must use it now.”
