Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste may recall, legislation was introduced by the Government to transfer people from rent supplement to the housing assistance payment, HAP. People are finding it impossible to find a HAP property or even get their landlord to sign up for one. The Department has taken the decision to stop rent supplement payments until a HAP application has been signed up to and approved. I know of a good number of cases in which rent supplement has been withheld for months, which is putting families under threat as well as making them homeless. We need to stop this practice urgently. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree there have been unforeseen consequences as a result of the legislation because people in the welfare sector are interpreting it in this way.

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