Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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15. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her Department's role in alleviating the current housing crisis. [33028/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The primary responsibility for provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with local authorities. The Department’s role with regard to people who are homeless is mainly income maintenance. Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlement to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance (SWA), subject to the normal qualifying conditions.

The Department, including through its Homeless Persons Unit and Asylum Seekers & New Communities Unit in Dublin, works closely with local authorities, Government agencies and the voluntary sector in assisting homeless persons to access private rented accommodation. This ensures that, where possible, people are diverted away from homeless services and towards community-based supports. Department officials are actively engaged at a local level with the Homeless Action Teams (HATs) and Non-Government Organisations working in the area of homelessness.

Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 65,000 people at a cost of over €298 million in 2015, with over 13,700 tenancies awarded this year. In view of the difficulties experienced by persons as a result of the limited supply in the private rented market, the Department has implemented a range of preventative measures assisting some 4,000 rent supplement households throughout the country to retain their accommodation.

Under the Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) scheme assistance may also be provided towards rent deposits or rent in advance. This year, approximately 1,700 payments have issued at a cost of €1 million.

The Department continues to engage with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that people are informed of the supports available and that they continue to be provided.