Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Efforts are under way to try to find such a fund or mechanism. However, we have the difficulty of the Government balance sheet and that obstacle is being examined.

Reference was made to the general supply issue. The Government's construction strategy is designed to increase both public and private supply and I understand there are over 70 action points in that, some 30 of which are within my area of housing and planning. That is the issue of supply.

Reference was made to a prevention strategy, in particular the strategy being rolled out in the Dublin area. I am keen to see that extended to the rest of the country and I hope we can do that as quickly as possible. However, that will involve the co-operation of the local authorities, the Department of Social Protection and voluntary organisations such as Threshold. We need such voluntary involvement to provide the telephone lines, interact with tenants and ensure that people know the measures available and can be assured that they do not have to leave if a landlord tells them they should leave.

Deputy Ellis and others made the point that perhaps local authorities were unaware and that the amendment would make local authorities more aware of how difficult it is to source accommodation at the caps. The housing assistance payment will do precisely that because the local authority will be paying the money to the landlord. The tenant portion will be collected and the local authority will transfer that in addition to the State portion to the landlord in regular payments. Therefore, they will know and will be aware if properties are unaffordable and if top-ups are what is keeping them going. That awareness will come.

I have made the argument previously that the security of payment may well mean that some landlords will see it as attractive, although they may be getting less money, because under the other scheme they were reliant on the tenant passing on the rent supplement. Many have said they were not getting their money. At least under this scheme there will be security for landlords in that sense. While I admit that they are probably getting less money, at least they will have the security of knowing that they will get it.

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