Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The bottom line is that the Minister is further cutting the exceptional needs payments this year. This will affect a large number of families, including those who need support with finding a deposit to rent a home. As I noted, the rent supplement system is breaking down and the rental accommodation scheme has collapsed in Fingal county, where our respective constituencies are located, and Dublin city. The Growing Up in Ireland study to which I referred shows clearly that families with young children are desperately struggling. At such a difficult time, the Minister has whipped away important funding from the exceptional needs payments system. Surely this will make matters much more difficult for vulnerable families in 2014.

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