Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry to go on but these points must be made. The last time rent caps were reviewed, they were increased by 9%. Since then, rents have gone up by 17% in Dublin. The caps are very far behind the curve. Nobody could seriously suggest, given the gap between the 9% increase in the cap and a 17% increase in rents since, that this is not contributing directly to the homelessness and housing crisis. It self-evidently is. I do not understand why we have been fobbed off with a review when the evidence is piling up.

As far as the crisis was concerned, we were repeatedly promised a review, but we did not get it. We then get the situation I have referred to with community welfare officers. While I appreciate that the Minister of State came over to me yesterday when he heard about the particular case and said "We will see what we can do", I cannot understand why there cannot be a general instruction to community welfare officers pending a review of the wider policy to sanction any payment where there is a legitimate claim that will keep someone in a house and prevent them becoming homeless. It is very easy for welfare officers to check if claims are legitimate. If someone comes in and says the only place he or she can find costs €2,000 per month while www.daft.ieshows that there are places available for €1,200, the community welfare officer can say "Come off it. Go and find somewhere for €1,200". If someone comes in and says the only available place costs €1,200, the community welfare officer only needs a computer to confirm on www.daft.iewhether that is all that is available in the area at that price. If he or she concludes that it is, he or she should just sign the cheque. That would prevent a great many people becoming homeless at Christmas.

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