Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons who are in receipt of rent allowance; the current monthly expenditure on rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16255/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost of rent allowance in respect of each year from 1997 to 2004; the average monthly number of tenants in receipt of rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16256/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly rent supplement to assist eligible people who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

As of last Friday, 13 May, there were 58,283 people receiving rent supplement. Monthly expenditure on the scheme is approximately €29.4 million on average over the first third of this year. For the years from 1997 to 2004 inclusive, details of recipient numbers at the end of December each year and associated annual expenditure are set out in the following table: