Taoiseach rules out rent supplement increase to tackle housing and homeless crisis

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has again ruling out increasing rent supplement as part of the response to the housing and homeless crisis.

Homeless agencies say a year to the day since the death of Jonathon Corrie in Dublin, there's no sign of an improvement.

In the Dáil Sinn Féin's called for the declaration of a national housing emergency, while Fianna Fáil wants rent supplement increased.

However, Enda Kenny has said an increase is simply not going to solve this.

“You want to throw money at every on every problem, said Kenny.”

“Now if you decide to increase the rent subsidy, that does not improve the supply of housing by one unit. It merely puts more pressure on the existing housing stock and it makes the situation worse.”