Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I support these three amendments. They are reasonable. I am all in favour of consultation but in the context of these three amendments consultation has taken place with the groups. Groups, whether they be Threshold or Focus who deal with people on housing lists or those who represent private landlords, have put forward a case. I know of quite a number of landlords who have made the case that to avoid fraud or the temptation to commit fraud among those in receipt of this payment, that the scheme and the State would be better served if the payment was made directly to landlords. The landlords to whom I spoke have registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board. Rent payments made by such a mechanism would help them to be tax compliant. All they would need do is check their bank account to track such payments in and out of their account. It is a reasonable suggestion and it would be cost negative. However, we need to do much more to ensure that all tenancies are registered.

Deputy Shortall made a point regarding top up payments, which is one of the most disgraceful practices taking place. Landlords are preying on people who are vulnerable and who simply want a roof over their heads. People who like the house or apartment they are renting are being encouraged to apply for rent supplement and then they are being charged a top up payment on that supplement, and these are people who can ill afford to pay such a top up payment. The payment they make on top of the rent supplement is calculated to ensure that they are not left in absolute poverty but landlords are demanding a further payment on top of that. The way of ending this practice is to ensure that all tenancies are registered. Once a tenancy is registered, such a top up payment would be illegal and a tenant could refuse to pay it without incurring the wrath of the landlord.

I do not see that there is any problem with the Minister accepting these amendments. Consultation in this respect could take place at a later date, whether it be this month or during the next two or three years, which would assist the Minister in perhaps adding to these provisions once they are enshrined in law to ensure that other aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship in the context of rent supplement could be addressed. These three amendments do not address all of the problems in regard rent supplement. I encourage Deputy Shortall to press these amendments.

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