John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would not, to be honest. When entering into rental agreements, people are legally obliged to supply the details of their rents to the PRTB.

Officers also used publicly available data sources, including the Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures on the rental sector, the www.daft.ie rental report, which was up to date, and websites advertising rental properties, to ascertain market trends and current asking prices. Views were also sought from a number of stakeholders to inform the review process, including the staff administering the scheme, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the HSE, Threshold and Focus Ireland. This raft of people agreed with what I have stated. The rent limits established were based on the market conditions and characteristics of each county.

The principal purpose of the review was to set rents so that a rent supplement recipient could access suitable and appropriate housing. Where it was found that rents had reduced, the respective maximum limits were lowered, thereby ensuring limits remained in line with their respective rental markets. Similarly, as rents have increased in some counties, maximum limits have been adjusted upwards to reflect local market conditions.

If this is a major issue in County Offaly, I suggest that the Deputy speak directly to the Minister. A separate review was conducted of each county. If the Deputy brought information about Portlaoise to the Minister, she might consider a rent review of that area. I see no issue with the rents that are being paid in Sligo.

See this speech in context