Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I reply on behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Coughlan. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the health boards, provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their basic needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is subject to a means test and, accordingly, where a person has access to resources in kind or in cash, the relevant legislation requires that these be taken into account in determining the amount of assistance payable.

The Western Health Board was contacted regarding the family in question and has advised that they arrived in Ireland in August 2000 and submitted an application for asylum. The Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform caters for the needs of asylum seekers through its system of direct provision. Under the direct provision system, asylum seekers are provided with full board accommodation and other services such as laundry and leisure facilities. In addition, they receive a weekly allowance of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 per child.

The agency initially referred the family to one of its direct provision accommodation centres in the Southern Health Board area. The family later transferred to direct provision accommodation in the Mid-Western Health Board area and in July 2001 transferred to direct provision accommodation in Galway. The family applied for rent supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in August 2001 on the basis that they had to move to private rented accommodation on medical grounds. Details of the medical evidence provided was forwarded by the health board to the Reception and Integration Agency which, having examined the circumstances of the case, advised the health board that the family's existing direct provision accommodation was suitable for their needs. In the circumstances, the application for rent supplement was refused. The family appealed this decision but their appeal was not upheld.

In May 2002, the family's application for asylum was refused. They applied for permission to remain in the State on humanitarian grounds and continued to reside in direct provision accommodation. A further application for rent supplement was made in 2003. The application was again refused on the ground that their existing direct provision accommodation was suitable for their needs. No appeal was made on this occasion.

In April 2003 payment of the weekly allowance was terminated as the family had vacated their direct provision accommodation and had failed to make contact with the health board. The board had no further dealings with the family until early 2004 when they applied for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme claiming that they had no means with to which to provide for their basic needs or rent costs. They were asked to provide details regarding their financial circumstances. In particular they were asked how they have been able to provide for their needs since they vacated their direct provision accommodation nine months previously. Despite being offered several opportunities to provide the necessary information, the family have failed to satisfy the board regarding their past and present financial circumstances.

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