Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has said he is taking the reports of sexual exploitation within the rental sector "very seriously".
However, speaking in the Dáil, he said it was wrong to link the problem to the Housing Assistance Payment.
He said this could result in people ending up in a more vulnerable situation because they may refuse to use the HAP payment.
The Minister told the Dáil, that the vast majority of people in the rental sector had safety in their homes.
He said he had been in touch with the Minister for Justice about the legislation that is in place to protect people and he said the Residential Tenancies Board provided protections for tenants.
He was responding to Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger who said she has had a lot more disclosures about sexual exploitation in the rent sector following revelations in the Dáil last week.
Speaking during Minister's questions, she said three women in the HAP sector had contacted her about their situation.
She said that when you have predominantly female, young and vulnerable people looking for scarce accommodation you increase the prevalence of exploitation.
Ms Coppinger said the housing crisis was creating a "perfect storm" for predatory landlords.
'Couldn't speak out and felt terrified'
A young woman who says she was sexually harassed by an estate agent, acting on behalf of a landlord, has said she felt she couldn't speak out and felt terrified.
The woman, a mother of two, told a press conference about how an estate agent had come to her house one October evening and refused to leave.
She said he had sent her inappropriate text messages, constantly turned up unannounced at her property and made jokes about candle lit dinners.
She said she had been looking for a property for ten months and had been facing homelessness.
The woman said she felt obligated to put up with the behaviour because she needed somewhere to live with her family.
She said she had been given a notice to quit her tenancy after she challenged him on things including the heating not working.
She said the housing crisis has resulted in some women being trapped by "predators" who she said were preying on their vulnerability.
Deputy Coppinger said that after she raised the issue in the Dáil last week a number of women who were in receipt of HAP had come forward to tell their stories.
She said testimonies from women outlined landlord behaviour including commenting on women's appearances, making inappropriate sexual comments, warning tenants not to have boyfriends and sending drunken text messages.
Deputy Coppinger said she would be meeting the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy this evening to discuss the issue.
She said she would be appealing to the Minister to progress the anti-evictions bill which she said would strengthen tenants' rights.
