Ms Niamh Randall:

In terms of the gap between market rent and limits for both rent supplement and HAP, we conduct a study a couple of times a year called Locked Out of the Market, where we look at market rents and limits for both rent supplement and HAP. Certainly, we found in our last study that 95% of the properties were unavailable to those on these particular limits. There are mechanisms with the tenancy protection service but that is a Band-Aid. If one looks at the range across the country, there is a 55% gap in terms of HAP and rent supplement limits in Cork, 44% in Athlone, 55% in Limerick and 20% in Kildare. These all are large gaps. Unless we look at some mechanism to support people to stay in the homes they have, we will keep seeing increasing numbers of people entering homelessness. It is already at crisis levels, with over 6,000 homeless. We will just see more people becoming homeless.