Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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43. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she continues to monitor the situation in respect of applicants on local authority housing lists living in counties immediately adjacent to Dublin in receipt of rent support in respect of private accommodation, the rent of which is rapidly moving beyond the ability of the tenants to pay; if her attention has been drawn to the extent to which this seriously impacts on the counties immediately adjacent to Dublin; her views on extending the provisions available to tenants in the Dublin local authority areas to those in adjoining counties, thereby averting large-scale homelessness in the months ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4975/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are currently approximately 71,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.

I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation in areas of high demand in the current market, including areas surrounding Dublin such as North Kildare. The Department is finalising a review of the maximum rent limits and raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and could impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families and students. I am keeping this matter under close review.

The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the housing needs of rent supplement customers throughout the country who are at risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices were circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in such circumstances in July and December 2014. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner. The Department continues to monitor the measures in place to ensure that the appropriate supports are in place for rent supplement recipients including the Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol operating in Dublin, which was extended to Cork city within the last week.

Responsibility for monitoring applicants on local authority housing lists is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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44. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of her previous assertion that raising the rent supplement caps would lead to further rises and artificial inflation of rents the steps she has taken to guard against this happening on foot of the supplementary welfare allowance note for information 2014/18 circulated to staff of her Department on 9 December 2014 which effectively raises the rent supplement caps; the discussions she has held with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government; and if rent controls will be urgently introduced. [4909/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are currently approximately 71,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.

The Department is finalising a review of the maximum rent limits and raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and could impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families, and students. I am keeping this matter under close review.

The Department has put measures in place to support rent supplement recipients at risk of homelessness or loss of their tenancy in the currently constrained private rented market, including the issuance of the information note referred to by the Deputy. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner. The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol introduced in the Dublin region during 2014, has provided support for some 340 families to date which represents approximately 2% of families receiving rent supplement in Dublin. The protocol has also been extended to Cork city within the last week.

These measures, whilst they provide for flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme on a case by case basis, will ensure that the risk of rent supplement contributing to rental inflation trends throughout the State is minimised. The Department continues to monitor the use of discretionary power for the purposes of preventing homelessness or the loss of a tenancy, which remains low in the overall context of the rent supplement customer base.

Policy in relation to rent controls is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.