Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 745: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the one-parent family allowance will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25237/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There is a statutory obligation on all claimants of one-parent family payment to satisfy, and continue to satisfy, the conditions for entitlement to the payment. In the case of the person concerned her one-parent family payment was terminated in May 2004. The payment was terminated on the grounds that she failed to fully disclose her means.

The person concerned contacted the Department in January 2005, requesting to be re-interviewed. An inspector of the Department subsequently interviewed the claimant and again requested her to provide the documentation necessary to determine her means. However, to date the person concerned has failed to provide this. On receipt of the requested documentation, her entitlement can be re-examined and she will be notified of the outcome.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 746: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when rent supplement will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25240/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplements are available to eligible people through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in determining entitlement in individual cases. In general, people in full-time education are excluded from receiving income support, including rent supplements, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, there is provision for continued payment of rent supplement to eligible people who wish to resume full-time education in approved courses through the back-to-education allowance, subject to satisfying the other eligibility conditions of the rent supplement scheme.

The executive has advised that it rejected a claim for rent supplement from the person concerned on the basis that she is a full-time student and that she did not satisfy the eligibility criteria for participation in the back-to-education allowance scheme. She has appealed this decision to an appeals officer in the executive, who will make a determination on her eligibility and notify her of the outcome as soon as possible.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 747: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason all arrears of the one-parent family payment to 2001 have not been awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25245/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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All claimants of one-parent family payment have a statutory obligation to satisfy, and continue to satisfy, the conditions for entitlement to the payment. In the case of the person concerned an application for one-parent family payment was refused in March 2003 on the grounds that she failed to provide requested documentation. The claimant was informed of the decision and afforded the right of appeal at that time; however, there is no record of an appeal against the decision.

The person concerned made a new application in 2004 and was subsequently awarded the one-parent family payment with effect from 20 May 2004. A letter informing her of this decision and affording her the right of appeal, issued to her home address on 15 February 2005. There is no record of her having appealed this decision. Arrears amounting to €7,248.40 covering the period from 20 May 2004, the date from which her claim was awarded, to 2 March 2005 were forwarded to the person concerned by cheque. No further arrears of payment are due in this case.