Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have several more questions to get through. Deputy Humphreys raised the issue of the shortage of RAS units. There is a difficulty, particularly in the Dublin area, with regard to the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection for rent supplement accommodation and RAS. We will keep it under review. The intention is the funding we have this year will provide for a further 2,500 transfers to RAS. We will re-examine it mid-year because this situation changes rapidly. We will also introduce the housing assistance payment under which people will move to differential rent. It will be introduced in seven local authority areas in the first phase and will eventually be introduced in all local authorities. The first phase will start in 2014 and we will monitor it. The Deputies for Kildare and Dublin will probably disagree with Deputy Flanagan's suggestion that we keep rent supplement going to fill private accommodation. It is the opposite in some parts----