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

None of us wants topping up to happen, as it impoverishes people. The Department of Social Protection asks, if there are false declarations, that they be reported to departmental representatives, who will discuss the circumstances of any case. The point Deputies are really raising is that people cannot find accommodation. Households sourcing accommodation themselves is the norm with regard to rent supplement. However, local authorities can assist and do in many cases. They have homeless units and so on. The voluntary housing associations, including Focus Ireland, often assist also. I accept that there is a problem with supply. It is a given.

Regarding people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, I spoke already about the arrangement being set up with regard to flexibility. One of the reasons we are implementing the homeless policy is that we want people who are in emergency accommodation to be able to move into homes. That will make space for urgent cases. The tradition has been that people have stayed in what is intended to be short-term accommodation for long periods of time. Home, where they have support, that is what we are trying to achieve in the policy.

We seem to be straying into more general areas and I am conscious of the time.