Mr. Bob Jordan:

We made a presentation today in the AV room about the tenancy protection service. There has been an impasse with the Department of Social Protection; their representatives have discretion to go above the rent limits but they do not do so even where people are clearly at risk of homelessness. The protocol moves this up the decision-making hierarchy in the Department of Social Protection and makes the Department make a decision. The service is only available in Dublin, which is an issue, but since it was established the freephone line has received 1,200 calls and dealt with 460 families at risk of homelessness, all of whom are still in their homes. In many cases Threshold has salvaged the tenancies and kept people in case. We have referred cases to the Private Residential Tenancies Board. We have also referred approximately 55 people to the protocol. It has only been up and running for several weeks. Of the 55 people 20 have been approved and receive an amount above the rent limit. The deadlock has been broken. It is not ideal because this flexibility should exist throughout the system but I hope it will lead to a loosening up of the system across the board.