Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My colleague is reminding me to speed things up, albeit very politely. It is not acceptable to have people literally living in kips with the State shelling out money and agencies with responsibilities looking the other way. Working on a case by case basis is all very well and good, but to address the issue in any significant way there needs to be a much tighter framework and consideration.

Ms O'Donoghue stated the Department reviews rent limits and is mindful of market conditions. Is the Department mindful of the fact many people - I do not have a figure - in receipt of this payment are topping up to an enormous extent to keep a roof over their heads? Ms O'Donoghue made the point the Department is not party to the contract between the tenant and the landlord and this is true, but in recent times it has written regularly to people telling them the threshold has dropped and they must negotiate the matter with the landlord. I accept the political and budgetary decisions are not the Department's, and the blame for them lies squarely at the Government's feet, but is Ms O'Donoghue aware of the hardship this causes for people in vulnerable situations who are sent off to negotiate again and again a downward reduction in their rent? It is entirely within the landlord's prerogative to say "No", which leaves the person concerned potentially homeless.