Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's programme for Government pays lip-service to tackling homelessness and pledges to put an end to long-term homelessness. This is all very noble but yesterday Focus Ireland highlighted the fact that rent supplement payments have fallen by 28% in the past three years while rental prices have remained steady and, in some cases, have increased, forcing people out of their homes. The Minister for Social Protection stated in the House that cuts to rent supplement would not result in additional homelessness, but landlords are refusing to accept lower supplements, and without having any savings of their own, people are being evicted while others are being forced to give top-up or under-the-counter payments, putting further strain on their households. This is causing homelessness and it is as a direct result of the Government decision to cut rent supplement. Does the Taoiseach want to see the opening of more soup kitchens like the recent one in Athlone? Is this the kind of buy-in to recovery the Taoiseach is looking for from the people?

Some 97,000 households are dependent on rent supplement, and introducing any further cuts will mean more people will be left without a home. Some landlords are charging extortionate rates for their properties, but simply cutting rent supplement and waiting for it to sort itself out is not a solution. As long as there is a crisis in social housing, there will be a need for rent supplement.

People on low income, who have a clear housing need, should not be punished for this. It is up to the Taoiseach to solve this problem, but so far he has failed. The programme for Government states that prevention is better than cure. How does the Government plan to prevent this cause of homelessness? Will the Taoiseach commit to bringing forward the next scheduled review of the limits from June 2013, with a view to increasing the threshold for rent supplement to ease the urgent situation many families face?

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