Ms Fionnughla McLoughlin:

We recommend reform of the rent supplement scheme to reflect market rent. A 15% increase in rent supplement is inadequate in the current climate. The majority of increases in rent supplement secured by Threshold for Tenancy Protection Service clients were at least 20%, with 150 clients given increases of more than 40%. Rent needs to be looked at a local level. The rent on a two-bedroom house in Dublin 2 is €1,668, while the rent on a two-bedroom house in Dublin 15 is €1,101. We also think that effective rent regulation is the only way to address ongoing unaffordable rent increases. Rent certainty measures linking future rent increases to the consumer price index should be introduced.

The housing assistance payment, HAP, needs to be extended nationwide along with the HAP place finder service, which has been very successful in Dublin. There is a need for an awareness campaign across the country regarding the HAP. Half of the clients who use the Tenancy Protection Service in Cork were under a valid notice of termination and had never heard of the HAP system.

We have assisted and advised more than 8,000 callers to the Tenancy Protection Service and have saved 2,300 tenancies so people could remain in their accommodation and not enter homeless accommodation. Ms Fiona Barry of Crosscare will discuss emergency accommodation.