Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

304. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if amendments can be made to the maximum rent limits to accommodate a young parent who has been homeless for some time to enable them to access private rented accommodation in an emergency (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16483/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The purpose of rent supplement 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 at a cost over €344 million for 2014.

The limits are established to ensure availability of accommodation and not to provide access to all housing in all areas. In some areas, the levels of supply of rentable housing stock is traditionally low, as in this particular case, Kilcock, which is being further exacerbated by the housing shortages currently being experienced in Dublin.

The Department continues to monitor trends in the private rental market to determine the impact on rent supplement recipients. A review of the current limits is scheduled to be undertaken this year.

Should this person not be able to secure an appropriate rental property within the rent limit appropriate to her household composition in this area, the Department will support the person concerned in securing alternative accommodation in another area, and if necessary provide a temporary extension to her rent supplement claim in the intervening period.