Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the criteria used to define whether a person is homeless; the number of nights a person must spend on the street or in a hostel in order to be defined as homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4482/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of determining if a person is regarded as homeless is a matter for the housing authorities. Neither I nor my Department have any function in relation to the matter.

Homeless persons have the same entitlements as any other Irish citizen under the social welfare system. There is no requirement that a person must spend any length of time on the street or in a hostel in order to qualify for any social welfare payment.

If a homeless person is unemployed but capable of and genuinely seeking work, then they can apply for unemployment assistance. They can be paid basic supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, if they do not fulfil the conditions for any other primary weekly payment from my Department. In addition, they can also apply for payments such as rent supplement, diet supplement and exceptional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

One of the most important supports provided to homeless people through the social welfare system is assistance with rent deposits to enable them to secure private rented accommodation. Some €5.8 million was provided for rent deposits in 2005.