Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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31. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which her Department continues to be in a position to meet the requirements of applicants who are on the local authority housing list, are currently in private rental accommodation, and whose rent has increased beyond the extent to which it has been found possible to offer assistance; if she is aware of the increasing number of families who find themselves homeless and are applying for emergency housing; if a review of the situation is required in an effort to streamline the means whereby families, becoming homeless arising from unaffordable rent increases or home repossession, are cared for, to the best possible extent, by her Department or the local authorities, or a combination of both; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17286/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The primary responsibility for the provision of emergency accommodation for homeless persons rests with local authorities. The Department's role with regard to persons who are homeless is mainly income maintenance. Officers in the Department's Community Welfare Service work closely with those in the local authorities, including the Homeless Action Teams, in the provision of supports for accommodation. There is also close engagement between this Department and the local authorities in the roll out of the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), which includes a homeless pilot currently operating in the Dublin area.

In relation to the rent supplement scheme administered by this Department, over 4,700 claims have been awarded to date in 2015. Officers administering the scheme will continue to provide for flexibility in assessing customers' accommodation needs through the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. The Department is also working with Threshold's Tenancy Sustainment service in the Dublin and Cork city areas where supply is most acute. The primary objective of these initiatives is to ensure a speedy intervention for families at immediate risk of losing their tenancy through rising rents.

I am keeping this matter under review and am satisfied that this flexible approach is the appropriate response at this time which has assisted in excess of 1,500 rent supplement recipients to retain their rented accommodation through increased rent limits.