James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on the lack of landlords accepting rent allowance scheme payments; her plans to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5624/16]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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128. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will revise her position on rent supplement and increase it due to the huge increase in family homelessness since the beginning of 2016 and respond to the call of the homeless agencies to increase it. [6278/16]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 128 together.

Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 57,600 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016.

There were over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during 2015 and over 3,000 awarded during the first three months of 2016 showing that landlords are accommodating significant numbers of people under the scheme. I fully welcome recent amendments in equality legislation which prohibits discrimination in the letting of residential property to people who are in receipt of a Rent Supplement or Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Department officials had engaged with the owners of the larger property websites in advance of the enactment of this legislation and progress had already been made in this area.

Persons who feel they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent may wish to contact the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission or make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission.

In terms of rent limits, the Department undertook a review of these limits in 2015 and found that the impact of increasing limits at a time of constrained supply in the private rented market will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available to recipients. The Department has instead implemented a targeted policy approach that allows for flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the limits for both existing customers and new applicants to the rent supplement scheme. The circumstances of tenants are considered on a case-by-case basis and rents are being increased above prescribed limits, as appropriate. In addition, the Department, in conjunction with Threshold, operates a special protocol in the Dublin and Cork areas where supply issues are particularly acute, with plans underway to extend this to other urban and commuter areas. This flexible and targeted approach has assisted over 7,300 rent supplement households nationwide to retain or acquire rented accommodation through increased rent payments.

I believe these measures and the reforms announced to the private rental sector provide stability in what has become a highly volatile rental market. I am keeping this matter under close review.