Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is one simple step that could be taken. When a new rent is put out, the tenants should be informed and the rent should only happen from that date, rather than being backdated to the day the council got the documentation. That would help those in distress.

The key point on the cap is that the landlords have not reduced prices; under the counter payments are increasing, leading to people being under great stress. That is the problem, we end up with vulnerable individuals struggling for the sake of getting rent allowance and being in a stable home and could end up in crisis.

Senator Moloney mentioned forms. I had to recently fill in four separate forms, all to do with the same thing.

I had to fill in the exact same details on every single form, whether it was for the death grant or the household benefit package. That is madness. In the overall scheme of things it might save a few bob but if one has one's PPS number on the form, providing all the information once should be enough because it will be on the system and can be shared. I have raised this issue with departmental officials before. I believe the quicker we get to that point the easier it will be in the Department.