Almost 11,000 households at imminent risk of homelessness have been given increased rent supplement payments in the past six months, according to official figures.

Two-thirds of those who have received increased support live in Dublin city or county.

The figures were provided by Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar in a written response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD John Curran, who chairs the Dáil's All-Party Committee on Housing and Homelessness.

The figures quantify the beneficiaries of the Government's decision last summer to increase rent support to households deemed to be at risk of being made homeless by spiralling rents.

Mr Varadkar said that 11,000, or close to a quarter of the total number receiving rent supplement, have had their payments increased over the past six months.

While the minister's spokesperson could not put a figure on the total cost to the State, he said increases of up to 30% were awarded in Dublin while maximum rises of 25% were made in Co Roscommon with Cork, Limerick and Galway cities registering rises of up to 20%.

Dublin city and county's 6,700 benefitting households dwarfed the 550-odd receiving increases in Cork city and county and in Kildare.

Meath, Wicklow, Westmeath and Longford were in the three and four hundreds.

Mr Varadkar told Mr Curran that in recognition of the ongoing housing supply difficulties, his department is continuing to implement a targeted case-by-case approach that allows for flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the rent supplement qualifying limits.

He said an arrangement is still in place with the housing charity Threshold in the greater Dublin area, and in the cities of Cork and Galway.