Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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110. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will address the growing concerns about the increases in rent being imposed by landlords and the fact that the rate of rent allowance provided by social welfare Departments is not comparative; in view of the difficulties persons on rent allowance are having with a very large number of properties not accepting rent allowance as a means of rent; her views that this practice is discriminatory; and the Department's measures to address these concerns. [39853/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. Prospective tenants are finding it increasingly difficult to secure accommodation due to the reduced availability of properties. Raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers and students. I plan to keep the matter under close review. Increasing housing supply and the reactivation of the construction activity is a critical issue for Government and key to restoring stability to the rental market. As part of Budget 2015, Government has announced significant capital investment of over €2.2 billion for social housing for the next three years. In 2014, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009.

Officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers and make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met, including through the use of their discretionary statutory powers as necessary and engagement with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations under the tenancy sustainment protocol. The fact that approximately 73,500 people are in receipt of rent supplement, of which some 16,500 were awarded this year, shows that a significant number of persons are being accommodated under the scheme.

It is clearly my preference that a person in receipt of rent supplement should not be refused accommodation. This position has been advised to the two larger property website owners in terms of their advertising, following which, one subsequently removed the reference to rent supplement on their website. Officials in the Department are also engaging with the Department of Justice and Equality in regard to this matter.