Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

If the Minister thinks that RAS and social housing will solve all the rent supplement problems, she has much to consider. She has not mentioned the commitment in the programme for Government to examine the reforming of rent supplement. When will that happen? Will it be a priority for her?

In examining that reform — whenever this one of the many programme for Government commitments is met — will she confirm that her Department and other relevant Departments will look at the issues of quality, the lack of responsiveness to market change and the fact, as has been discussed in the Chamber with her predecessor, that when a person's landlord gets the rent supplement there is no check as to whether he or she is paying tax on it? The latter is a valuable source of revenue the Government cannot afford to turn its back on at this time.

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