Housing Minister rules out increasing rent allowance
Housing Minister Paudie Coffey has said there will be no increase to the rent supplement - despite the Government's pledge to tackle homelessness.
Paudie Coffey was speaking after last night’s homelessness forum - which saw the Coalition offer half of Dublin's local authority housing units to those at risk for the next six months.
The emergency summit was called after the death of Jonathan Corrie just metres from the Dáil on Monday.
But Junior Minister Paudie Coffey said that increasing the rent supplement will not alleviate the problem.
"If you raise the rent supplement, it will automatically put more money in landlords' pockets," he said.
"That's not something we want to see happening.
"There is a flexibility for the Department of Social Protection officers, where they have the discretion that an individual case can be made and it can be addressed.
"So, for the moment, the rent caps will not be increased.
"We'll continually evaluate that, obviously, as the months go by."
