Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the one parent family allowance will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11497/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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One of the qualifying conditions for one parent family allowance is that a person be separated for at least three months. On examining the application of the person concerned, it was noted that she separated from her partner on 10 March 2005 and, therefore, her claim cannot be considered at this time.

If the circumstances of the person concerned do not change before 10 June 2005 it will be open to her to reapply for the allowance. All papers received to date will be filed awaiting further developments.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if and when rent support is likely to be made available in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has special health needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11639/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The position remains as set out in my reply to Question No. 174, which I answered for the Deputy on 25 November 2004.

The relevant office of the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive has again advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If he wishes to apply for a rent supplement he should contact the community welfare officer at his local health centre for an assessment of his eligibility.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to the respite care grant that was announced in the budget for persons who were not in receipt of the carer's allowance, the location at which the grant can be applied for; when they can be applied for; the application forms which are needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11642/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In budget 2005, I announced the extension of the respite care grant scheme to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means and subject to certain qualifying conditions.

The respite care grant will continue to be payable to recipients of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, prescribed relative allowance, constant attendance allowance and domiciliary care allowance. Carers who do not qualify for a grant under one of these schemes may now obtain a grant if they and the person for whom they are caring satisfy certain conditions.

The grant, which is being increased to €1,000, will be payable from 2 June 2005 in respect of each qualifying person for whom full-time care is being provided.

From early May, application forms and information leaflets will be available throughout my Department's network of local offices and will also be available from citizens' information centres. In addition, they may be requested by telephone from my Department or by downloading them from my Department's web site.

An extensive publicity campaign is planned for the end of this month and will include advertisements in both provincial and national newspapers as well as posters in various centres and offices. Officials of my Department have already briefed representatives of carers' organisations about the scheme. These organisations will in turn be providing information to their members.

My Department is setting up a special section to deal with this scheme. Arrangements are being put in place to ensure applications are processed efficiently and in a timely manner. As part of these arrangements a post office box number will be assigned to the scheme for easy processing of applications. A dedicated freefone help-line will be operated to coincide with the publicity campaign.