Ms Helen Faughnan:

The instructions we have sent to our staff indicate that there is still flexibility. For example, in other areas throughout the country we would have a limit in a particular town or whatever. Each county normally has its prices benchmarked on the main urban centre in a town. For example, in Kerry it is Tralee. We have various kinds of limits. In other parts of Kerry, rents are not as costly, so the community welfare service would be cognisant of what is the local market rent. In a different part of the area that is maybe not as under pressure, those are the maximum limits, so we could be paying a rent supplement that is below the limits. Conversely, in areas of tight supply and in places where property is expensive, we may have to go above the limits. It will be done on a case-by-case basis.