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92% drop in affordable properties in 10 months as opposition says housing crisis 'getting worse'

The Simon Community has called for HAP rates to be increased to deal with the rising cost of housing.

LAST UPDATE | 7 Apr 2022

THERE WERE JUST 80 properties available for people receiving the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to rent across 16 areas of the country, a new report shows.

A new report from the Simon Communities of Ireland for the first quarter of 2022 shows that there was a 92% drop in the number of affordable houses since June 2021, when there were 906 properties available.

Just 80 properties were available across the four HAP categories – single people, couples, couple/single parent plus a child and a couple or single parent with two children.

The figures are particularly stark for single people accessing HAP, with just one property available within standard HAP limits. Adding discretionary HAP limits only added one additional property.

A total of 737 properties were available to rent at any price across the 16 areas, which is a 445% drop from the previous report in December 2021, where there were 1,349 properties on the rental market.

The 16 areas were: Athlone, Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Dublin City north, Dublin City south, Dublin City Centre, Dundalk, Galway City suburbs, Galway City Centre, Kildare, Leitrim, Limerick City suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo town, Portlaoise and Waterford City Centre.

A majority of the affordable properties under HAP were available in Dublin, due to discretionary HAP rates allowing an additional 50% compared to the standard rate.

This discretionary rate is limited to 20% in other local authority areas outside of Dublin, with the Simon Community calling for it to be increased outside the capital.

Wayne Stanley, Head of Policy and Communications at the Simon Communities of Ireland said that the report was “shocking”.

“The vast contrast between this Locked Out report and the last Locked Out report is shocking. The latest homeless figures saw 6,825 adults living in emergency homeless accommodation; the highest number of adults in homelessness ever recorded by the Department,” said Stanley.

“These numbers must be addressed and action must be taken before the situation escalates further. We need a housing system that works for everyone.”

He called for the discretionary HAP rates to be raised up to 50% across the country and for the standard rates to be reassessed by the Department of Housing.

“HAP rates have remained stagnant since 2016 and rents continue to rise. Since then, the national average rent has risen by over 40%.

This means the most vulnerable are left to pay unsustainable top-ups, putting them at risk of tenancy breakdown and homelessness.

“We need to ensure our rental market is affordable and secure, so that it prevents individuals and families from being evicted into homelessness.”

Opposition parties have been reacting to the report, with Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan stating that it shows “the housing crisis is getting worse not better”. 

“The Housing Minister claims the provision of affordable housing is a priority for the government, but where is the evidence of that? House prices and rents are exponentially increasing, while the number of properties available to rent is shrinking rapidly,” he said. 

Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan said there must be an increase in HAP supports. 

“There are many low to middle income earners who avail of the HAP scheme as they are in the high rent, low security private rental sector. The scheme was designed to provide long-term, secure and affordable rent, but it is no longer working,” she said.

Housing for All

The report from the homeless charity comes as the government published its third progress report of the Housing for All strategy

The report also covers the first quarter of this year with the government stating that, on the question of rented accomodation, tenants are moving into Cost Rental homes at Enniskerry Road in Dublin with further schemes scheduled to come on stream in the coming months. 

The report also says there has been some improvements on affordability, with homes provided under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme up to 20% below open market values. 

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien also pointed to planning applications by the Land Development Agency to build homes on the site of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum and at Castlelands, Balbriggan.

“These affordable measures will be complemented in the coming months with the launch of the ‘First Home’ shared equity scheme, which will help first-time buyers purchase new homes,” he said. 

In all, the report says that of the 213 actions in Housing for All, 135 have been delivered or progressed. Of the 20 measures due for delivery in Q1 2022, 12 were delivered on schedule. 

The report also references the war in Ukraine and the effect it will have on the housing situation here, both in terms of the amiability of materials and the need to accomodate arriving refugees. 

“Delivery of Housing for All is now more important than ever as we respond to the grave humanitarian crisis brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said. 

“We recognise that the wider implications of the conflict in Ukraine will present challenges and Government is keeping under close and active review the challenges arising for the construction sector and the housing market. We must now redouble our efforts to deliver Housing for All at scale and pace, increasing housing supply across all tenures and ensuring a sustainable housing system for the future.”

- With reporting by Rónán Duffy

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37 Comments
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    Mute Patrick FitzGerald
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    Apr 7th 2022, 6:28 AM

    Increasing HAP without either increasing supply or restricting rents will only lead to prices going up. This government’s solution to every cost of living problem is to give people more money to spend, while it’s those controlling the limited resources that are fuelling the inflation who benefit by simply hiking prices to meet the increased amount of money available.

    As long as there’s a supply crunch, the *only* way to reduce rents is meaningful rent control combined with the most extreme and punitive penalty charges for vacant residential property, to force those hoarding property to rent it out at reasonable prices. Implement a measure like this while significantly nationalising the construction of new housing by embarking on a massive social housing programme akin to the mid-20th century, and property deflation will happen naturally over the following years.

    Of course, it’s a moot point anyway – this government doesn’t want house prices or rents to fall, as they have decided that their priorities lie entirely with enriching those who view residential property as an investment vehicle for generating passive income, and not those who view it from the far less exotic or glamorous angle of “needing a place to live”. As our esteemed Tainiste put it, “one man’s rent is another man’s income”. Until that mentality is expunged from our political system in the next election, we are, unfortunately, most likely stuck with this spiral of increasing rents and increasing profits for speculators and hoarders.

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Apr 7th 2022, 7:14 AM

    @Patrick FitzGerald: That’s the clearest explanation of the housing crisis, and the solution, I have heard. I hope you have a platform to put forward your view and maybe consider standing at the forthcoming general election.

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    Mute ed w
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    Apr 7th 2022, 7:51 AM

    @Patrick FitzGerald: and remember the crying when properties were in negative equity ?

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    Mute Sean
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    Apr 7th 2022, 8:13 AM

    @Patrick FitzGerald: Rent controls decrease the supply and availability of rental accommodation. The Government at this stage has made repeated trips to the well to make life impossible for the small landlord. More taxes, more regulation, rent controls, longer notice periods, an RTB that the landlord must fund that has no enforcement powers to evict rogue tenants. The upshot is that many small landlords have sold or are in the process of selling and this is having a catastrophic effect on rental supply. So arguing for more ‘meaningful’ rent controls makes no sense at all. Rent controls are working and we can see that in the flight of landlords from the market.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Apr 7th 2022, 10:03 AM

    @Sean: Exactly.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Apr 7th 2022, 12:05 PM

    @Sean: Being replaced by vulture funds who will obey no rules but still keep the characters on Long Island in their lavish lifestyles.

    Tis a great little country to do business.

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    Mute Jason Dawson
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    Apr 7th 2022, 12:34 PM

    @Sean: Well said.

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    Mute Rob Gale
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    Apr 7th 2022, 4:16 PM

    @Sean: i think there should be different rules for small landlords than for investment funds. Currently it’s not worth much to a small landlord who goes by the books (vast majority don’t), yet investment funds get all kinds of tax breaks and incentives.

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    Mute Barbara Coleman
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    Apr 7th 2022, 4:36 PM

    @Patrick FitzGerald: massive social housing- it was 1979 the last time that happened. ! There’s no money, no construction workers and on top of that the Govn has discovered that it’s much cheaper to house SW tenants in private rented accommodation!!

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    Mute Barbara Coleman
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    Apr 7th 2022, 4:45 PM

    @Patrick FitzGerald: you have on obviously never had to deal with tenants Patrick….. SF advise that 80 landlords are leaving the system every week despite record high rents…says it all !! RTB has made the whole thing unsustsinable… you might as well hand over your property to the tenant….take you 2/3 years with RTB and another 2 in Courts to get out non paying tenants…in the meantime you have to fix, repair & replace and midt probably pay the mortgage on it. How is that fair ?? It’s a mugs gsme now – except of course for the big Commercial renters… No RTB for them of course…you can be put out overnight and they are really only interested in the higher end of the market. So the future is not rosy going forward in the rental market here !!!

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    Mute Barbara Stewart
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    Apr 8th 2022, 10:29 AM

    @Sean: Excellent, well said. During the downturn people were forced to leave this country for jobs…..couldn’t sell houses because of negative equity and forced to pay taxes on rent…not leaving enough to cover the mortgage.

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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Apr 7th 2022, 8:36 AM

    200.000 Ukranians coming in and the last Ive heard they arent bringing houses. Oh, and the hospitality sector is having trouble finding Irish to work their exploitative hours for slave wages and they want 40.000 non-EU flown in to work in for them, which last I heard, wont be bringing in any homes either on their planes. Oh but carry on, isnt it a lovely generous (greedy) country (to others).

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    Mute Peter Willekens
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    Apr 7th 2022, 8:56 AM

    @Merlin Lancelot: ógh yes, repopulate Ireland with increased profits for a few is well on its way,… Charity my azz…. Build to accommodate our new cheap workforce… More of the usual so!!!

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    Mute Peter Willekens
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    Apr 7th 2022, 9:15 AM

    @Peter Willekens: And where does this figure of 200 000 comes from in anyway? How can our government justify that figure? Of course we need to help but there won’t be any kind of affordable substantial amounts of housing for years to come, not just for homeless but the rental sector too. The tourist season starting and every available room is being filled, last time I looked we do depend on tourism a tiny bit… Again I say we must help, no question, but an ulterior motive is on for sure or they really haven’t a clue…

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 7th 2022, 10:28 AM

    @Peter Willekens:

    “How can our government justify that figure?”

    6.5 million people have lost their homes because of Russia’s unprovoked war. 4.2 million have left Ukraine already. Our friends in Poland are providing shelter for 2.5 million refugees.

    Proportionally, 200,000 is about how many Ireland should take in if every EU country is to take in a number proportional to their existing population.

    You should be ashamed of yourself tbh.

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    Mute The next small thing
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    Apr 7th 2022, 10:32 AM

    @Merlin Lancelot: It’s great that the 146,000 unemployed here can just not bother getting a job and still receive their benefits (including housing supports). There is as much greed there as with the exploitative businesses and landlords.

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    Mute Peter Willekens
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    Apr 7th 2022, 2:28 PM

    @David Bourke: nó matter if this country goes belly-up?

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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Apr 7th 2022, 4:21 PM

    @Peter Willekens: 200.000 people, notwithstanding regulating illegals (which only causes an incentive for more illegals to glow in and fill the gaps of slave wage employment) all entitled to social welfare support, child support, medical card, housing etc… will bankrupt the nation and/or impoverish significantly the life of the Irish. But hey, the propagandists know how to tug at the emotional plebs heart, so they cannot think about the rational implications of these actions. It’s all about making Ireland a global estate and not the homeland of the Irish any longer. Plantation 2.0 on steroids.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 7th 2022, 4:46 PM

    @Peter Willekens:

    Ukrainians are intelligent, literate, educated, hardworking people. Not that it should matter, but they are perfectly capable of contributing to our economy.

    Not sure if the same can be said of poorly educated, low IQ journal commentators crying “wah about de hoomeeless” on every article.

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    Mute Peter Willekens
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    Apr 7th 2022, 5:07 PM

    @David Bourke: clearly a man who’s alright and damned all others… Its not about Ukrainians, it’s about not enough accommodation, extreme rents, ridiculous property prices, its about lies that there was no money or housing available and that is only the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t notice any of this you must be living in a big bubble or be part of it. BTW, if it does go pear shape at some stage there won’t be any escape, even for those that have no complaints now or don’t want to express their concerns. Staying quiet because a few say so has been happening for far too long. If this was France there would be a million people on the street in less than a day without even calling for a protest…

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 7th 2022, 5:57 PM

    @Peter Willekens:

    France has already taken in 30,000 Ukrainian refugees, and are committed to taking in far more than the 200,000 we have committed to.

    No protests about it so far. But sure, continue your concern trolling. I’ve donated part of my salary to Threshold for a number of years now, what have you done?

    You’re only looking for an excuse to rant about the immigrants.

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Apr 7th 2022, 7:56 AM

    If I was the Minister for housing I would acquire adopt a policy of building social housing in every part of Ireland urban and rural. My preference would be to acquire sites to accommodate no more than 100 houses in Urban areas and 50 in Rural areas. , with a mixture of 4 ,3,and 2 bedroom houses. This would encourage a system where the those living alone especially the elderly and those with disabilities would be living in a close knit supportive community with people of all ages.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 7th 2022, 10:32 AM

    @Aine O Connor:

    “a mixture of 4 ,3,and 2 bedroom houses”

    Nonsense, this is exactly why Ireland’s housing system & transport is so bad. We need high density housing so that we can provide transport and services.

    Semi-detached houses sprawling for miles are miserable and difficult to serve. In well planned countries you have apartment blocks beside nice green areas and forestry. That way kids have green fields to play football in, adults have somewhere to barbecue, and most importantly, you can build a train-station 5-10 minutes walk from a significant number of homes.

    It’s not a “housing” crisis, it’s a planning crisis. Building more houses won’t solve the problems of bad urban planning.

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Apr 8th 2022, 8:32 AM

    @David Bourke: You are forgetting that much of the population of Ireland live in rural towns and villages. You do not see high rise blocks of flats in these areas .They are suitable and necessary in cities. The Government demolished the Ballymun Towers in Dublin because they were badly planned for occupation by families but they would have been suitable for single people and students as according to Hugh Wallace Of Home of the Year they were well built.

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    Mute transik
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    Apr 8th 2022, 10:13 AM

    @David Bourke: someone here not so long ago said that kids raised in the appartment block have no soul:)
    With that kind of thinking we will never overcome this housing problem.

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    Mute RogersRabbit
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    Apr 7th 2022, 12:39 PM

    You can keep increasing HAP and prices will just go up. The issue is supply.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Apr 7th 2022, 10:26 AM

    Increasing HAP would be a good start. I’m being evicted (landlord selling). In this country there has to be vacant possession to sell. Allowing selling with an existing tenant would be a good change. HAP requires that to continue receiving HAP, you must stay in the region. There is NOTHING that qualifies for HAP in the Midwest, so I’ll be homeless. It’s a ludicrous situation.

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    Mute The Ghost of Dublin
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    Apr 7th 2022, 11:56 AM

    @Jane Alford: it does not have to be vacant possession to sell… I think someone is lying to you. Check it out

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    Mute Paul Clancy
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    Apr 7th 2022, 12:13 PM

    @The Ghost of Dublin: it does not have to be vacant to sell. But it’s a rare buyer that would buy with a tenant in place and I speak from personal experience. The new buyer may want to live there themselves or has their own clients to rent too. Selling is one of the few valid reasons a landlord can remove a tenant too.

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    Mute Asio_Otus
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    Apr 7th 2022, 1:09 PM

    @Jane Alford: I know it’s nigh-on impossible to find a place within HAP limits.

    I am in the same boat, about to be homeless and looking at sleeping in my car as the house is being sold.

    You can though look in all other counties, once your income is below the HAP thresholds in the other county, your HAP can transfer with you.

    It doesn’t open things much, I know, but at least you are not tied into one county.
    I hope everything works out for you.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Apr 7th 2022, 6:58 PM

    @The Ghost of Dublin: Estate Agents won’t take a house on their books unless it’s vacant.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Apr 7th 2022, 6:59 PM

    @Asio_Otus: I’ve looked over the whole of Ireland. There’s nothing. The only things within HAP is a room in a shared house. I’m too old to be living like a student again and my dog won’t be able to come with me.

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    Mute iohanx
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    Apr 7th 2022, 1:29 PM

    People want houses in their ‘preferred’ areas. That’s the problem. Same all over the world in fact. This bias will never change, ever.

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    Mute John O Connor
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    Apr 7th 2022, 1:54 PM

    @iohanx: no I want a house in malahide can’t afford it. Tough. But person with no money want a social house there. Madness

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    Mute Chris
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    Apr 7th 2022, 3:10 PM

    Is there anything to be said for building another hotel?

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Apr 7th 2022, 1:46 PM

    The figure of 200,000, with respect to the amount of refugees from Ukraine expected to arrive here and be accommodated, is based on the EU’s request that each EU country take in 2% of its respective population. Therefore Ireland: 200,000. Interesting to examine other EU country’s population numbers, for example Spain’s population in 2020 was around 47 million, which when divided by 2% equals a 940,000 refugee intake.

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    Mute v39e84kK
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    Apr 7th 2022, 6:56 PM

    @Keth Warsaw: But the population of Ireland is not 10million.

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Apr 8th 2022, 1:08 AM

    @v39e84kK: Mia Culpa lol. Does that then mean we’re taking in 4% based on our 5M population, if a number of 200,000 was mentioned? Miracle if we can.

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