Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 8 together.

The Government has provided more than €403 million in 2013 for over 86,000 rent supplement recipients. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation. It should not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. It is essential that State support for rents are kept under review and do not distort the market in a way that could increase rent prices for other people, such as low-paid workers and students. Analysis shows that there are properties available within the maximum rent limits for rent supplement recipients in County Kildare. The number of rental properties available in north Kildare is somewhat lower than the numbers available in the rest of the country. This has an impact on the number of accommodation units available for rent supplement purposes. According to the latest figures, there are 4,400 rent supplement recipients in County Kildare, over 1,000 of whom reside in the Leixlip, Kilcock, Maynooth and Celbridge areas of north Kildare. This indicates that it is possible to secure accommodation in such locations under the current rent limits. An analysis of recent reports has shown that rents have increased in Dublin, Cork and Galway, with rental asking rates falling in other cities and in rural areas. I gave a previous commitment to complete a review of maximum rent limits by the end of June. The officials have done a great deal of work on this. I am pleased to say I am confident that the review will be finished by the end of May, with new rent limits in place by early June.

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