Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The question of homelessness and rough sleepers is dealt with under the social policy and by the public service reform committee which also meets. This is not to state the question of housing and construction was not discussed directly by the Cabinet. I refer to the discussions that normally take place on reports from individual Ministers. I was not aware that Departments were admitting privately to the Deputy that they did not see this coming. Obviously, when 90,000 houses were being built per year and when that figure fell to 8,000 or 8,500 per year after the crash, it became perfectly obvious that there would be a supply problem. As I stated previously to the Deputy, rent supplement was an issue that put a lot of pressure on people to move from houses because the opportunity, on foot of lack of supply, means that there is pressure for space. The rent supplement scheme supports 63,000 people at a cost of almost €300 million, a significant amount of money. Properties are secured under the scheme and 17,200 rent supplement tenancies were awarded this year, which is an important consideration for families.

Clearly, a review of rent limits earlier this year found the impact of increasing limits at a time of short supply would increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer, with no new housing being made available to new recipients. Rather than increasing limits, rent supplement policy, therefore, obviously will continue to allow flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the limits both for existing customers and new applicants for rent supplement. As I have pointed out many times, circumstances are considered on a case by case basis and rent supplement amounts are being increased above the prescribed limits as is appropriate. This flexible approach has helped 4,700 households nationwide to retain their rented accommodation. These are some of the people who have approached the offices of Deputies Micheál Martin, Ricahrd Boyd Barrett and Gerry Adams, as well as mine. They are under pressure from their landlords to get out, but because of this flexible rental system, the rent supplement amount can be increased above the limit. This has helped 4,700 families, which is an important consideration. Moreover, the rent limits for the homeless under the housing assistance programme, HAP, pilot scheme were also increased to allow homeless families in Dublin to move out of hotel and emergency accommodation to find homes. For those families in emergency accommodation in Dublin city, HAP payments will be allowed to 50% above rent supplement levels. In addition, they are being increased in Cork, Galway, Kildare and Meath, where flexibility allows.

I do not accept Deputy Micheál Martin's assertion that the structure is a failure. From my perspective, it has allowed Ministers, their Departments, agencies and Ministers of State the opportunity to respond at Cabinet sub-committees on issues of the day or issues that are important. The Deputy may have a different view. The system that used to operate previously was that Cabinet sub-committees met highly irregularly and normally met on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. I found that the agendas were long and that they were unable to make decisions because other issues piled up during the course of a normal busy parliamentary week. From my point of view, I leave available one Monday per month for whatever Cabinet sub-committee meetings are necessary. The next meetings will be held on next Monday which allows for six or eight to be held from 8:30 a.m. onwards. Ministers, Secretaries General and senior civil and public servants attend and personnel from different agencies or organisations, as need be, can also attend, if appropriate. In that sense, it clearly has helped with the Action Plan for Jobs, the regional action plans and the development of and bringing to a conclusion proposals that have been put to the Government to be accepted. The Deputy may have a different view, however, to which he is entitled. I must state that perhaps the responsibilities of the committees might be slightly restructured in a different way. The Government has changed the remit of a number of them because things have changed. While families are still dealing with the issue of mortgage distress and so on, it is no longer of the same scale, as was the case two years ago. Consequently, that matter has been put with housing and construction sector planning. Across the entire range of Cabinet sub-committees I have found it to be a highly effective way to put propositions, set timescales, demand responses and move on to the Cabinet, where necessary, to seek decisions.

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