Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I have taken action since the issue was raised in the House some time ago. Discussions have taken place between the Department, the Revenue Commissioners and the PRTB to see how we can improve the existing system. The Department notifies the PRTB of all tenancies where rent supplement is paid by the Department. I do not have a figure for the total number but only have the figure I provided this afternoon. I will ask that and will provide the information to the Deputy.

My concern is for individual clients who need support from the State in obtaining accommodation here. People have often confused the issue and thought the Department's relationship was with landlords. It is not, it is with individual clients whom we support in finding the best accommodation available to them, and we will continue to do that. There have been some improvements and we would like further improvement with regard to how that information flow takes place.

I do not want the client or recipient of the social welfare payment to be wholly responsible for the tax affairs of a landlord. That would be unfair. There are some mechanisms in place to ensure tax compliance and that the standard of accommodation being sought and given is of a high quality. This involves not only the Department but also a number of other agencies, as indicated earlier, including local authorities. Since the issues have arisen, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department and the PRTB have been engaged in discussions to try to enhance and align their systems so as to have a better flow of information.

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