Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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It is something we need to do.

I will return to the supplements for a moment. The figure of 28% is on the basis of figures given. They are received, the Comptroller and Auditor General looks at them and you look at them. I understand that; that is what you are getting. However, I can tell you that people who are not paying top-ups are the exception, including for constituents who are in private rented accommodation who come to my office. I cannot remember a time when I spoke to a HAP tenant who is not paying a top-up. I am saying this truthfully. I recall saying that to the former Deputy, Joan Burton, in the Dáil seven years ago. That has accelerated and the gap is widening for the top-up. I welcome the fact that there is discretion there of 20% and 50% where there is a risk of homelessness, but we are chasing accelerating rents. We saw the rent figures last week from Daft.ie. That is just one of the indicators. The true figures for the cost of rent are not being shown in official figures because what tenants are paying is far in excess of that. What is the legal situation regarding these top-ups?

My understanding, and perhaps I was naive at the time, is that if landlords got into the HAP scheme, they could not charge top-ups, but they are crucifying people. There is a human side to this. The human side is that tenants, people who are working, are paying over half their wages in rent. They are absolutely crucified. It is tormenting them and it is breaking them financially and emotionally. It is breaking up relationships. I have seen it. Every other Deputy here and county councillors around the country will tell the same story. What is happening is serious. It is a very difficult situation. We have to use private rented accommodation, and I accept that we are trying to move away from it and the sooner, the better. I understand that it is a chicken and egg situation and that we have to deal with the real world, but the faster we can provide housing, the better. Meanwhile, we have to do something about that situation. It is very important.

That 28% is not real. In my experience, at least 95% of the tenants I meet are paying top-ups, and substantial top-ups, along with paying the rent to the council. They pay what is called the differential rent to the council, in other words the same rent as if one is in a council house, be it €50, €60, €70, €80 or €100 per week. That is fine; they are more than happy to do that. However, they do not have security of tenure and, as was mentioned earlier, if they complain about the condition of the place or the like, there is no mechanism to deal with that. In addition, they are paying the under-the-counter payment to the landlord and there is no control. Nobody has a handle on this. This has gone wild, and no words that I can say to you this morning can emphasise it. The reason I feel so strongly about it is that I am meeting people who are absolutely broken in every way. I want to convey that to the officials here. I have said it to Ministers. I know you are handed a policy and you have to implement it, but I want to convey to you that we are dealing with a crisis here for people and it is having an effect. People talk about Covid-19 and mental health, but one of the biggest drivers of the mental health crisis is financial torment. I emphasise that to you.

The other issue I wish to raise relates to the emergency accommodation. That figure of €270 million spent on it in 2021 is substantial. I see that it is revised downwards. How much oversight does the Department have of the tendering process for that and the procurement? Briefly, does the Department provide guidelines and codes of practice to the local authorities?