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

Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, supporting approximately 67,000 people, of whom 6,400 have been awarded in 2015, at a total cost of €298 million. More than 2,400 people are in receipt of the new housing assistance payment, HAP, administered by the local authorities. Today's report from the Simon Community entitled, Locked out of the Market: The Gap Between Rent Supplement-HAP limits and Market Rents, shows the major problem in addressing homelessness is the lack of supply of suitable accommodation. The provision of housing is a key priority for the Government and the implementation of the range of actions in the Construction 2020 strategy and the social housing strategy 2020 will support increased housing supply.

While I fully acknowledge the difficulties persons renting or seeking to rent are experiencing, increasing rent limits will provide little in extra supply but will further fuel rental inflation, as outlined in the Department's recent review of rent limits. The State is a significant player in the private rented sector, accounting for over one third of the market. In response to the difficulties the Department is providing a case by case response to ensure access to housing, curtail rental inflation and ensure value for money. Some 2,100 people or families have accessed rent limit increases. The measures implemented provide for increased flexibility in assessing customers' individual accommodation needs through the national tenancy sustainment framework introduced earlier this year. Under this approach, each tenant's circumstances are considered on an individual basis and rents are being increased above the rent limits, as appropriate. This measure applies to both existing rent supplement recipients and new applicants to the scheme. The Department continues to work with Threshold's tenancy sustainment service in urban areas, Dublin and Cork cities, where supply deficits are most acute. Departmental officials are engaging with the relevant stakeholders on the extension of this arrangement to Galway in the coming weeks. The Department has also undertaken a communication campaign to encourage people at risk to make contact with it or the Threshold tenancy protection service as early as possible in order to prevent an unnecessary episode of homelessness.

The Department provides support for persons towards rent deposits under the exceptional needs payments, ENP, scheme. This form of assistance is very important to those on low incomes who rely on the private rented market to meet their housing needs. In 2015 to date, more than 1,300 payments have been provided towards rent deposits, at a cost of almost €700,000. We are constantly reviewing the issue, scrutinising what is happening around the country and ensuring officers in my Department are exercising flexibility. If there are individual cases in which flexibility is not being exercised, the Deputy is welcome to bring them to my attention. I am seeking to ensure the offices of my Department exercise discretion and assist people to avoid homelessness and get into accommodation, including in the types of case the Deputy pointed to in which people are not homeless but are living at home in difficult circumstances and need to move into private rented accommodation. If the Deputy has specific examples in which the system is not working, I will be happy to work with him to try to resolve them. The scheme is being operated in the Deputy's area and I can provide information on the number of times discretion has been used there.

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