Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The rent for a tenancy must be notified to the RTB so we know what the rents are in an area but given the top-ups, are we getting a very distorted picture? I am aware of some of the top-up amounts. We have all seen them. They have been a feature for some time. When the rent supplement limits were lowered after the crash to try to keep rents down, top-ups started to be a feature and they have been a feature since then. Do we really get an accurate picture of rent?

We probably all see scenarios where there is a queue for a rental property. If HAP is involved, the local authority must approve it and inspect a premises. There is not automatic approval, so there is a time delay for someone getting HAP and it means that a landlord will take a person with cash in hand, who is possibly offering two months deposit and rent for one or even two months in advance. It is becoming much more difficult for people on HAP to get accommodation and not just because of the limit. Are rents distorted by top-ups? Are we really seeing the full picture?