Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for her comprehensive reply and while I accept most of what she said, during my constituency work, all the people on rent supplement I meet are seeking help to go straight into rented accommodation and to apply for the rent allowance because they do not have an alternative. They try to obtain a deposit from the local authority and then apply to the CWO immediately before contacting the landlord and spending perhaps one or two weeks in the new property. I assure the Minister these people are put to the pin of their collar to find somewhere to live and pay rent. I wonder whether another door is being closed and more people are being pushed out. I would like the Minister to clarify this. The section states, "The applicant must be in a position to demonstrate that he or she reasonably could have afforded the rent at the commencement of the tenancy". Rent supplement means a great deal to social welfare recipients, who could not manage to pay their rent without it and that is the bottom line.