Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the rent ceiling and rent support payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8012/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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To date, the person concerned has not made an application for rent supplement to the Department. An application can be sent to the Kildare Rents Unit, P.O. Box 11758, Dublin 24 and the person’s entitlement can then be assessed.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the maximum rent levels payable in north Kildare; if she will take account of market pressure and consequent hardship on recipients of rent support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8013/13]

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 currently over 87,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million for 2013. Revised maximum rent limits came into force on 1 January 2012 and are in place until June 2013. 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. It is essential that State support for rents are kept under review and do not distort the market in a way that could increase rent prices for others, such as low paid workers and students.

Departmental records show that there were over 4,300 rent supplement claims in payment in County Kildare at the end of 2012, with over 1,000 in North Kildare (in Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip and Kilcock). The number of rental properties available in North Kildare is somewhat lower than the numbers available in the rest of the county and therefore impacts on the number of accommodation units available for rent supplement. Department officials dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure that their accommodation needs are met.

The Department will continue to monitor rent levels throughout the country. The next review of rent limits will take place before June 2013 and any changes to the existing limits will be considered as part of this review.