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

Rent supplement continues to play a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 70,000 people this year at a cost of €298 million. Over 4,700 claims have been awarded in 2015, of which 1,380 were in Dublin. There are also over 1,600 people in receipt of the new housing assistance payment. This shows that landlords are engaging with the State private rented sector schemes and that people are being accommodated under these schemes. The Department’s recent review of the maximum rent limits found that increasing rent limits at this time could potentially add to further rental inflation and, in an already distressed market, affect rent supplement recipients, those on lower incomes and students. The impact of increasing limits will yield only a marginal increase in available supply, if at all, with the certainty that raising limits will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available.

On a national basis, officers administering the rent supplement scheme continue to provide flexibility in assessing customers’ accommodation needs. The Department is also working with Threshold’s tenancy sustainment service in Dublin and Cork city where the shortage of accommodation is most acute. The primary objective of these initiatives is to ensure a speedy intervention for families at immediate risk of losing their tenancy through rising rents.

I am keeping this matter under review and am satisfied that this approach is the appropriate response at this time. These measures have assisted more than 1,500 households, 900 of which are in Dublin city and county, to retain their rented accommodation through increased rent supplements.

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