Social housing support scheme branded a ‘fiddle of figures’

The Government’s social housing support scheme has been branded the biggest "fiddle of figures" since the banking crisis.

Sinn Féin councillor Tom Gould led criticism of the housing assistance payment scheme at Monday’s meeting of Cork City Council where earlier, about 30 people protested against the initiative outside City Hall.

The scheme will see 50,000 long-term rent allowance recipients removed from social housing waiting lists across the country — including approximately 5,000 in the Cork City area.