The Housing Assistance Payment scheme gives state support to those struggling in the private rented sector.
But there has been criticism that the payment rates are too low, as rent prices have surged in recent years.
Comptroller and auditor general, Seamus McCarthy, says in many cases, the state's payments aren't enough:
"The examination found that while market rental costs were increasing, the maximum rents payable by the state under HAP had not been revised since 2017. Some tenants make top up payments to cover any difference between the rent payable to the landlord and the maximum rent payable by the state. Around 28% of HAP tenants, were making top of payments to landlords in the first half of 2019."
