Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am wondering how many times I can answer the same questions in a different manner. I know the Deputy's interest is in the Kildare area. The regional managers within the Kildare area were met by the Tánaiste yesterday. We are ensuring flexibility is given by the front-line officers to reflect the local market costs within those areas. Correspondence is going out to all front-line staff in regard to rent allowance. The protocol which is operating in the Dublin area has been working extremely well and we are considering the extension of that protocol to other larger urban areas. That is currently under review and we are working with Threshold in that regard.

With regard to Kildare specifically, I ask anyone who is currently in difficulty to recontact the community welfare services, which will have received correspondence from myself and the Department this week outlining their discretionary powers under section 38. We want to see that flexibility operated and we certainly do not want to see anybody who is currently in a tenancy lose it. However, we want to make sure it is operated in a fair and consistent manner across the country, and Kildare would not get a preference over Meath or Wicklow, obviously.

It is a very serious issue and people are extremely worried and anxious in this regard. It is witnessed in every clinic held by Deputies or councillors. We have given instructions in this regard and the Tánaiste met the regional managers only yesterday. What we want to see is flexibility, consistency and fairness. However, on the same basis, we do not want to see rent inflation created by the Department. There are families on low and middle income in the rental market also and we do not want to inflate rents as this would put them under pressure. It is a complex situation and we are doing our best. The Deputy knows very well about the long-term and the medium-term. What we need to do is get over this particular issue until the supply comes.

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