Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Responsibility for setting and enforcing housing standards rests with local authorities. Under legislation introduced in October 2006 the HSE, which administers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme on the Department's behalf, may refuse rent supplement where it has been notified by a housing authority that the accommodation concerned does not comply with standards.

Where a notification is received from a housing authority in respect of an existing tenant the community welfare officer would discuss the situation with the tenant and take whatever action it decides is necessary in the best interests of the tenant. These arrangements are aimed at improving the standards of accommodation which rent supplement tenants occupy and supporting the local authority in meeting their responsibilities with regard to housing standards.

The most recent information available from the HSE is that any notifications of substandard accommodation received from local authorities have resulted in rent supplement being terminated or the refusal of rent supplement where it was not already in payment. Where the HSE becomes aware of accommodation or blocks of accommodation which appear to it to be substandard, it notifies the local authority and it may advise prospective tenants at such premises that rent supplement will not be paid in respect of those tenancies.

In addition, details of rent supplemented tenancies that are of more than 18 months' duration are notified to local authorities every quarter. This information is primarily for the purpose of identifying rent supplement tenants for transfer to the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. As part of this process local authorities inspect the accommodation concerned before accepting them on to the RAS and this information sharing assists in enforcing housing standards.

Given the extent of information sharing and the arrangements in place to refuse rent supplement where accommodation does not comply with standards, I have no plans to make further changes in the rent supplement scheme at this time.

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