Sinn Fein Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis has branded as a disgrace the cuts Fine Gael and Labour have introduced in the rent supplement. “The cutting of this payment has only resulted in piling more hurt and stress on people who are already struggling.
“The reality is that local authority housing stock is grossly insufficient to meet the scale of the housing need that exists.”
“The rent supplement payment was designed to be paid only to those people who cannot afford accommodation and secondly the local authority housing stock is grossly insufficient to meet the scale of housing need that exists.
“Instead of implementing cuts to rent supplement which impoverish families on the brink of homelessness, the minister should be looking at alternatives to the Housing problem.
“NAMA and other vacant properties must be used to increase the local authorities housing stock. This costs money upfront but the resulting savings on rent supplement and revenues raised through differential rents would be worth it. Concluded Deputy Ellis”