Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is carrying out a review of all existing rent supplement recipients; the number of cases in which rent supplement has been cancelled or suspended as a result of any such review; if any review being undertaken is nationwide or simply localised; if she has given consideration to the plight of any long-term rent supplement recipients who have had their payments cancelled or suspended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38379/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income 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 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 currently over 90,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €436 million for 2012.

The housing policy framework published by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Housing & Planning in June 2011 contains the announcement for the transfer of responsibility in providing housing needs for long term rent supplement recipients to housing authorities. A multi-agency steering group has been established to develop proposals to give effect to this transfer. The group is chaired by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and consists of representatives from the Departments of Social Protection; Public Expenditure and Reform; Office of the Revenue Commissioners; the County and City Managers Association, and the Housing Agency.

Revised maximum rent limits under the rent supplement scheme came into force on 1 January 2012. The revised rent limits are applicable to new rent supplement tenancies from January 2012 and existing tenancies on review. Most claims are reviewed every six months, or when an existing lease expires.

Where a claim is under review and the rent is above the maximum limit the customer is being asked to contact the landlord to renegotiate the rent. Where a landlord does not agree to reduce the rent to the new rates department officials will discuss the options open to the tenant up to and including seeking alternative accommodation. Department officials dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure that their accommodation needs are met; there will be no incidence of homelessness due to these changes.

Statistics are not available as to the number of rent supplement claims cancelled or suspended following review.

Approximately 33,500 rent supplement claims have been awarded in 2012, representing over 37% of total claims in payment, indicating that accommodation can be secured within the existing rent limits.