Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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102. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has concerns that the number of landlords refusing to accept rent allowance tenants is having a negative impact on rent allowance tenants being able to secure a property; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12346/14]

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. There are currently approximately 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant. Rent supplement is specifically for the benefit of tenants to assist them with their accommodation needs. There is no direct relationship between the landlord and the Department in the administration of the scheme. The tenant’s engagement with the Department usually takes place after the tenant has reached an agreement with the landlord.

I am aware of the difficulties facing people in sourcing accommodation and the latest Daft.ie rental report indicates that the number of advertised rental units in Dublin has declined from 6,700 in 2009 to under 1,500 at the end of 2013. All prospective tenants, including those seeking to access rent supplement, are now finding it increasingly difficult to secure appropriate accommodation due to the reduced availability of rental properties, particularly in Dublin.

However, the fact that approximately 78,000 people are currently in receipt of rent supplement, of which almost 30,000 are in the Dublin area, shows that a significant number of landlords are accommodating applicants on the scheme. The Department continues to monitor trends in the private rental market to determine the impact on rent supplement recipients. Department officials administering rent supplement have considerable experience in dealing with customers of the scheme and will continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met.

The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short term income support. In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Officials in the Department are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, to pilot HAP in the Limerick local authority by end March 2014 with further roll out to selected local authorities during the year.