Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

People appreciate the importance of the rent supplement and the importance of that relationship with the tenant. Ultimately, that is what is involved. It is an individual payment to an individual tenant, having regard to his or her circumstances. It allows that tenant the flexibility to use the supplement.

However, where a tenant requests it, the rent supplement can be paid directly to the landlord. Of the 70,000 people who are in receipt of rent supplement, 13,000 have requested that it go directly to the landlord. Our contract with the tenant still remains but that flexibility is there. I do not see any need to accept the amendment.

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