Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this issue. It has been a cause of concern to me for some considerable time, as I am sure it has for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

It relates to the application of the new rules, as annunciated in last year's budget, which imposed restrictions in regard to amount and eligibility in terms of the rent allowance scheme, thereby affecting many who would previously have qualified. In the row between the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government as to where responsibility should lie in the provision of housing, as evidenced by exchanges in this House, it is the applicants for this scheme who have suffered.

Typical of the current situation is that the applicant is told to seek a house for which the rent is low. A house for which the rent is €400 per month in my constituency is one which is not fit for habitation. There is no option other than an unfit house for that type of rent. Moreover, if an applicant finds a house that is rentable and supportable in the view of the local health board, he or she is forced to undergo a variety of bureaucratic turns and twists. If the applicant survives this, he or she will be exhausted and in some cases homeless.

I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, is fully aware of the seriousness of this situation. I raise this issue in the knowledge that the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan, has indicated in the past that he is fair and caring. A sufferer of Crohn's disease in my constituency, whose PPSN is 6857327Q, has been run around the system for the past four months. This person was refused the rent allowance and told to return in six months. It is disgraceful that his needs have not been addressed. Another constituent, whose PPSN is 6788230R, has spent most of the past 12 months attempting to apply for rent allowance. On each occasion, some excuse has been given as to why she is not entitled to avail of the scheme. This person has been chased from pillar to post by the antics of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, through the local health board.

I do not wish to denigrate any Department. However, the current situation is intolerable and I hope the Minister of State will do something to rectify this. A by-election will take place shortly in my constituency and I can ill-afford to be here on this errand. However, I have tried every other approach. I have heard the comments of social welfare officers to the effect that it is of no avail to bring such issues to one's local public representative because the officer is the only person who counts in these matters. The day is fast approaching when those who adopt this attitude will get their answer.

The cases I have listed are genuine and those concerned are entitled to have their applications dealt with in a sympathetic manner. I could say much more, which might be inflammatory. I will refrain, however, on the basis that I expect an immediate resolution to the issues I have raised.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this issue and apologise for the absence of the Minister. The rent supplement scheme is administered on the Minister's behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The Department of Social and Family Affairs has no role in determining entitlement in individual cases.

A number of measures were introduced in the rent supplement scheme in January 2004 to re-focus the scheme on its original objective, which is the provision of short-term income support as opposed to long-term housing solutions. A working group was subsequently established under the Sustaining Progress agreement to facilitate engagement with the social partners in monitoring the impact of the changes to the scheme. In its report in August 2004, the group concluded that the new measures were not having any significant adverse impact having regard to the design of the measures, including the operation of the levels of discretion by community welfare officers. As part of the ongoing monitoring of the rent supplement scheme, the working group was reconvened last November to undertake further examination and consideration. I understand the group is in the process of drafting a report on its latest deliberations.

In the meantime, based on the work of the social partners and other consultations, the Minister introduced new regulations on 31 January 2005 to make two significant changes in the conditions for receipt of rent supplement. First, the requirement regarding six months of prior renting was abolished to ensure that bona fide tenants may access rent supplement in appropriate circumstances. Rent supplement may now be paid where applicants have been established in rented accommodation from within their own resources but can no longer meet the payments because of a change in circumstances, such as illness or redundancy. In addition, rent supplement continues to be payable where there is an assessed housing need and the applicant is unable to meet this from his or her own resources and also in other specific circumstances.

Second, the rules relating to the refusal of local authority accommodation have been eased. Up to now, rent supplement was not payable where a person refused, within a 12-month period, a second offer of local authority accommodation. Rent supplement may now be paid unless a person has refused, within an 18-month period, three offers of accommodation from a local authority.

In regard to the four cases raised by Deputy Durkan, none of the four was affected by the measures introduced in January 2005.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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That is not what the social welfare inspector said.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In one case, the person concerned was awarded a rent supplement from 1 January 2005. She was also assisted by way of an exceptional needs payment in respect of a rent deposit to help her secure accommodation.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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That is not true.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In another case, the person concerned has been in receipt of rent supplement since August 2003, which predates the changes introduced in January 2004.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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That is incorrect.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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While there have been revisions in the amount of rent supplement paid in this case, these arose as a result of routine reviews carried out in the normal course to take account of changes in the recipient's financial circumstances.

Rent supplement is not in payment in the remaining two cases. There is no record of an application for rent supplement for the person in one case.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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The person was told not to apply.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In the other case, the person concerned was asked to provide clarification regarding her domestic and financial circumstances so that an accurate assessment of her eligibility for rent supplement could be determined. The applicant has failed to provide these details to date.

Overall, the Minister is satisfied that the conditions for receipt of rent supplement and the discretion available to the community welfare service to deal with emergency or exceptional cases ensure that bona fide tenants may access rent supplement in appropriate circumstances. The Department will continue to monitor the operation and effectiveness of the scheme and any necessary changes will be made.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State has given an appalling reply which contains many inaccuracies.