Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for rent support in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21029/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are approximately 95,000 rent supplement recipients with a forecast outturn of €437 million provided for 2012. Approximately 54,000 of these are now in receipt of rent supplement for more than eighteen months.

The Department currently funds approximately 40% of the private rented sector so it is essential that State support for rents are kept under review, reflect current market conditions and do not distort the market in a way that could increase rent prices for others, such as low paid workers and students.

The new maximum rent limits came into force on 1 January 2012. These new limits are in line with the most up to date market data available. The emphasis of the rent limit review was to ensure that maximum value for money for tenants and the taxpayer was achieved whilst at the same time ensuring that people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation.

All new Rent Supplement applications are subject to these limits. As existing claims come up for review, most claims are reviewed every six months, or when an existing lease expires, individuals will be reassessed using the new limits.

As the rent of the person in question is above the new maximum rent limit she has been given an appropriate period of time to contact her landlord to renegotiate the rent. If the landlord does not agree to reduce the rent to the new rates, Departmental officials will discuss the options open to the person in question up to and including seeking alternative accommodation having regard to any existing lease arrangements.