Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
581. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the action her Department plans to take to ameliorate the current situation where persons in certain areas cannot acquire accommodation due to refusal by large numbers of landlords to accept rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16190/13]
View answer582. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans her Department has to make the rent supplement scheme more attractive to landlords; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16191/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 581 and 582 together.
There are currently over 86,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million for 2013. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. It is essential that this is achieved while providing value for money for tenants and the taxpayer. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. As the Department funds a significant proportion of private sector rented accommodation, it is essential that State supports for rents are kept under review and that appropriate control and compliance measures are in place. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department's relationship is with the tenant. Rent supplement is specifically for the benefit of tenants to assist them with their accommodation needs. There is no direct relationship between the landlord and the Department in the administration of the scheme. The tenant's engagement with the Department usually takes place after the tenant has reached an agreement with the landlord. The fact that approximately 86,000 people are currently in receipt of rent supplement proves that a significant number of landlords are accommodating applicants of the scheme and that rent supplement recipients are able to access accommodation.
The Government has effectively two initiatives to deal with long term reliance on rent supplement which will return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short-term income support. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is in operation since 2004 and the Housing Policy Initiative as announced by my colleagues the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister of State with responsibility for Housing and Planning. The Government approved in principle the transfer of responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to persons with a long term housing need from the Department, currently provided through rent supplement, to housing authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The Department is working closely with officials from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in developing proposals to give effect to this transfer.
