Homeless crisis blamed on rent allowance cuts

The Government has come under renewed fire for not doing enough to ease the homelessness crisis, with opposition parties blaming cuts to the rent allowance.

Fri, 17 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív warned the Dáil the situation was getting worse.

“The Simon Community has said it has never been as bad in Dublin and that the number of homeless families is at the highest level in our history,” said Mr Ó Cuív .

There are more than 800 children in emergency hotel and hostel accommodation.

“The whole situation has been made worse by the cuts to the rent allowance and also the elimination of mortgage interest supplement,” he said. “This comes at a time when rents are up 15% or 20% in urban areas.”

Mr Ó Cuív said Tánaiste Joan Burton must reversed cuts to the rent allowance in order to try and control the situation.

Ms Burton said the Social Welfare Department was dealing with individuals on a case-by-case basis, and that raising allowances across the board would only benefit landlords. “Since the beginning of the year we have negotiated 4,000 new rent supplement tenancies.”

Ms Burton added that the Government put in a raft of measures to deal with the situation before Christmas, but the only long-term solution was to build more affordable housing.

Ms Burton also came under attack from Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald over changes to the way benefits are paid to lone parents

Ms McDonald said that, with the one-parent family payment no longer applying when a child reaches the age of seven, 6,400 people would lose up to €36.50 a week, with an unknown number being down by €87 a week.

Ms McDonald said Ms Burton had pledged not to introduce the changes until a Scandanavian-style child care system was in place.

“Why is the Tánaiste taking money from the pockets and food from the tables of some of the poorest families in the State?” she asked.

Ms Burton said the lone parents affected would move onto other benefits and the aim of the changes was to prevent them falling into a lifetime of welfare dependency. She said those affected would be encouraged to take-up training and internship opportunities in order to re-enter the workforce.

“All of the options in terms of education, training, community employment and other participation will be available,” Ms Burton said.