Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The Deputy and I have discussed this issue previously. Rent supplement is intended as a short-term renting scheme for people who have lost their jobs and who expect to find new employment within a short period. Over the past decade, the numbers relying on this scheme have grown enormously. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a rent supplement to persons who require that supplement because they are not in employment. I have said previously that it is our intention to reform the scheme in a way that will provide for its transfer to the local authorities. I agree with the Deputy in his reference to local authorities in regard to the rental accommodation scheme. They have housing departments which are experts on the provision and acquisition of housing. The community welfare service staff in my Department are not experts on housing, rather they are experts in giving monetary assistance on a monetary basis to persons in need of assistance and they do this with great consideration and care. As I indicated to the Deputy, more than 25,000 rent supplement claims have been awarded to date in 2012. One must bear in mind that the total number we anticipate this year is 92,000. To date, we have had more than 25,000 people negotiating claims, of which 3,700 relate to this month. That indicates that people are negotiating.

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