Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There is very close co-operation between my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Deputy is correct. It is very frustrating to see houses boarded up when people are in need of housing and are in rented accommodation. We are working closely with the Department to ensure more people are transferred onto the RAS scheme. In the last few years, 20,000 people have been transferred onto the scheme and it is working quite successfully. We are constantly trying to increase the numbers in the scheme.

Regarding the amount of money currently being spent, I do not have the specific figure but we made provision for additional claims due to the increase in the live register. I understand it is some €29 million, given the changes in the supplementary budget. Where there will be pressure is on the mortgage interest supplement, rather than the rent supplement. We envisage that there will be an overrun on that scheme, but that we will be able to accommodate it within the overall Estimate in the overall budget for the Department this year.

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