Seanad debates
Wednesday, 19 November 2003
Estimates for 2004: Motion.
The supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement will be reduced. One must rent an apartment outside one's home for six months prior to consideration for the rent supplement. However, pregnancies can occur unexpectedly and people may be thrown out of the family home. How are they supposed to rent? The community welfare officer will exercise discretion but one agency will work against the other on this issue. I sometimes wonder whether there is co-ordination and co-operation between the various agencies producing reports and implementing policy. This is not the first time I have complained about this. Last week I referred to the recommendations made by Maureen Gaffney on social capital.
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