Aideen Hayden (Labour)

I welcome the Minister. My questions are in respect of the rent supplement budget. I welcome the transfer of the rent supplement budget, announced by the former Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Willie Penrose, and ask the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, to expedite that as quickly as possible. There is no doubt in his evidence from the rental accommodation scheme that when people have the opportunity to work and pay differential rents they go back to work. My information is that will not happen until 2013. In light of that, I put the following to the Minister. I ask her not to interfere with the rent supplement limits paid to single people. The evidence of Threshold is that there is no property available at that cap and if a straightforward cut is given at that level there will be displacement, homelessness and people topping up rents out of scarce resources. I want the Minister to ensure that rent is paid directly to landlords, although I know that is not popular with her Department officials. However, our information is that 34% of landlords receiving rent supplement are not registered with the PRTB, therefore there is evidence of non-compliance with tax payments. I ask the Minister not to increase the personal contribution. Front line organisations such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Threshold say that will result in poverty. Will the Minister please put some money in the budget for a new computer system for the Department of Social Protection? It is a well-known fact that their hopelessly out-dated computer system is the principal thing standing between the Department and some meaningful performance.