John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's answer is completely at odds with the facts as I know them to be in Waterford having spoken to many people, and people who deal with the rent allowance. The Minister will recall that she confirmed to me that there had been significant staff changes in the unit administering the supplementary claims in Waterford. The office had recently relocated - I believe the Minister visited it - from the Health Service Executive premises to a new Intreo centre. The Minister is on record as pledging that applicants would be processed within five to ten working days, therefore, can the Minister offer any explanation for the reason rent allowance applicants in Waterford are now waiting up to three months in some instances? Waterford city and east Waterford currently has approximately 1,280 rent supplement applications administered by the office. The average waiting time for an application to be assessed is between two and three months, which is contrary to what the Minster said in her reply and contrary to what she said some months ago when I put that question to her in Waterford when she opened this new centre. These facts are coming from the people in the Department of Social Protection and those trying to access rent allowance.

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