Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Táim buíoch go bhfuil sé anseo, ach tá díomá orm nach féidir leis an Aire sinsearach teacht isteach don cheist seo, mar is ceist í seo atá ag déanamh tinnis do go leor daoine faoi láthair. Tá an-chuid cainte ar na táirsigh freisin maidir leis na hathruith a bhaineann le liúntais cíosa. Tuigeann muide go gcaithfidh an Rialtas iarrracht a dhéanamh an chíos atá á íoc le tiarnaí talún agus mar sin de a ísliú agus tuigeann muid go bhfuil cíosanna an-ard á íoc i gcásanna áirithe agus nach cóir go mbeadh siadsan le n-íoc ag an Stát. Ach, tá fadhb againn leis an meicníocht atá tógtha ag an Stát le sin a chur i bhfeidhm, is é sin na tionóntaí atá sna tithe a chur ag margántaíocht.

I raise the issue of the change to the rates for the rent allowance supplement. Although we agree in principle with the idea that landlords certainly need to be tackled on the issue of the rents under this scheme, there are serious issues with the way the scheme is administered currently. The tenants are being forced to renegotiate their leases with landlords. This is a disastrous situation for many people. Sinn Féin has been contacted by many people in Galway and we held a meeting on Friday evening. The tenants are finding it impossible to renegotiate and the landlords are playing hard ball and they are not willing to move on the rates. The Government should have used another mechanism.

This is current Government policy and Sinn Féin disagrees with the method of its implementation. I know of one family in Knocknacarra in Galway city which was informed two weeks ago by letter from a representative of the Department of Social Protection that the new level of rental support was being introduced. As a result of this new rate, the family's supplement was being lowered from €800 a month to €700. This will not cover the rent for their house and there is no accommodation available in the area at a suitable rent. The Department has stated the review of this case was based on figures from daft.ie, and the CS0. However, neither of those websites show properties in that area for that level of rent. The children attend a local school and both parents are unemployed. Before the end of last month, 31 May, they were forced to write to their landlord to say they would have to break the lease agreement and leave the house. They do not have any alternative accommodation and they will be homeless for all practical reasons.

I ask if an appeals system is available for such cases where the rent is more than the relevant limit. The Department's website states that in some cases rent supplement can be paid at the discretion of the Department's representative, formerly known as the CWO, where the rent is over the relevant limit. There are three circumstances. For example, if a member of the household has special housing needs, for example, a disabled person in specially adapted accommodation; if a tenant can pay the rent by taking up employment in this case the rent supplement at a higher rate can be paid for a short period of six to eight weeks; if there are other exceptional circumstances. I ask for clarification as regards circumstances.

The decrease in the rate for rent supplement will cause some tenants to default on the lease agreement and they will be in a very precarious legal situation. It will also mean they will have to leave their home and force them back on the local authority homeless list to be accommodated in some other manner at a cost to the State. The system needs to be reviewed because tenants are being forced into a very akward and unfair position. I ask for clarification about the appeals process because these people need a remedy for an immediate problem. Cuirim fáilte roimh an fheagra.