Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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247. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has had any discussions with the Department for Finance regarding extending the home renovation tax incentive to the private rented sector for landlords who commit to accepting rent supplement tenants for a period, the tax incentive being only available if tenants are retained for a specific period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28370/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Government has provided over €344 million for the rent supplement scheme in 2014, the purpose of which is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. 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. Any extension of the home renovation incentive (HRI) scheme would be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and would have to be considered within a budgetary context. Discussions have not been held on this matter between the Department and the Department of Finance.