Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if all local authorities in the State poverty proof their differential rents schemes; and if not, the local authorities which have not done so. [3166/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities are responsible, as part of their housing management functions, for the determination of rents of their dwellings subject to certain broad principles laid down by my Department. These broad principles are detailed in circular HRT 3/2002, which issued in March 2002. This circular states that authorities should ensure that rent increases do not absorb an excessive amount of increases in income of tenants on low-incomes, dependent on social welfare payments, and in particular, on old age pension payments. As a general guideline, it is considered that no more than 15% of any increase in such pension income should be absorbed by an increase in rent. Authorities have discretion as to the types of income to be taken into account in the assessments of rents and how to deal with hardship cases, allowances for dependent children, poverty traps and other anomalies that arise in individual cases. This ensures that rents are determined on the basis of tenants ability to pay. Such local discretion and flexibility is inherent in the devolved system of administering rent schemes.