John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to provide extra child allowance in counties Sligo and Leitrim for the first five years to encourage home parenting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32536/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Child benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid up to age 19 in the case of children who are still in full-time education and children with disabilities.

Government policy over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on child benefit, to the advantage of all families. Commitment to this policy is reflected in the significant resources invested in the child benefit scheme since 2001, increasing monthly payments to €141.60 for each of the first two children and €177.30 for the third and subsequent children, increases of €87.64 and €106.19 respectively.

Any further increase in child benefit is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context and in view of competing priorities.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reasons a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not been awarded rent subsidy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32586/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in decisions on individual claims. Rent supplements are subject to a statutory limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for supplement may incur.

The Dublin mid-Leinster region of the executive has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement on the grounds that the rent payable for his accommodation was in excess of the prescribed maximum limit for his area of residence and for his household size.

The executive has further advised that, in its opinion, there are no special circumstances in this case to merit payment of rent supplement to the person concerned on an exceptional needs basis.

It is open to the person concerned to appeal the decision to the appeals office within the Health Service Executive.