Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

32. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of tenancies that have been deemed terminated, where rent arrears of at least 28 days existed under section 37 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, in each of the past three years and to date in 2015; if she will provide this information in tabular form, broken down by county; if she is aware that such tenancy terminations have been occurring more frequently in areas where market rent prices are at such levels as to be beyond the reach of struggling families trying to find accommodation within rent supplement levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24636/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There are approximately 68,000 rent supplement recipients for which Government has provided over €298 million for the scheme in 2015.

The Department does not maintain statistics in relation to tenancies terminated where rent arrears of at least 28 days existed. However, I fully acknowledge the difficulties that people are experiencing, including rent supplement recipients, in maintaining suitable affordable accommodation in the current market.

Fundamentally, the main cause of rising rents is a lack of supply in the market and the implementation of the range of actions under the Construction 2020 Strategy and the Social Housing Strategy will support increased housing supply. It should also be noted that my colleague, Alan Kelly T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, intends to bring proposals in relation to rent certainty to Government before the summer recess.

In response to the current difficulties, the Department has implemented preventative measures to provide for flexibility in assessing customers’ individual accommodation needs through the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. Under this approach, each tenant’s circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis, and rents are being increased above prescribed limits throughout the country, as appropriate, including those in Kildare.

The Department is also working with Threshold’s Tenancy Sustainment service in the Dublin and Cork city areas where supply is most acute. This flexible approach has already assisted over 2,100 rent supplement households nationwide to retain their rented accommodation through the payment of increased rent payments.

In addition, the Department has also undertaken a communications campaign which seeks to encourage people at risk to contact the Department or the Threshold Tenancy Protection service as early as possible to prevent an unnecessary episode of homelessness.