Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the decision by the Minister for Social Protection to maintain the current rate of the rent supplement despite clear evidence that limits are too low for persons to secure accommodation; the measures that are being put in place to address the homelessness crisis arising from the mismatch between rents and rent supplement rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22327/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The operation of the Rent Supplement scheme is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection. As the Deputy may be aware, the Department of Social Protection published a review of the maximum rent limits under the Rent Supplement scheme on 27 March 2015 and this review is available through that Department's website.

A range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures have been identified in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness(May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness(December 2014). Progress in implementing these plans is reported through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plans and progress reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: