Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the social welfare rent allowance section reduced the weekly rent allowance of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 by €4 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26815/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to decisions on individual claims.

Under standard SWA rules rent or mortgage interest supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent or mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum contribution, currently €13, which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. Many recipients pay more than €13 because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate basic SWA rate towards their accommodation costs.

The Executive has been contacted concerning this case and has advised that following a routine review of the means of the person concerned, the amount of rent supplement payable was reduced due to an increase in the amount of UK pension payable to him. It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision to the designated Appeals Officer within the Health Services Executive.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason there is a delay of up to eight weeks in sending out the respite care grant to eligible applicants for same; if he will elaborate upon the reason for this delay and take steps to rectify the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26816/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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People providing full-time care who are in receipt of Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit or Prescribed Relatives Allowance receive the Respite Care Grant automatically, without having to apply for it. The same applies where a Constant Attendance Allowance is in payment in respect of the person being paid for. Payment is made on or after the first Thursday in June of the year to which the payment refers. This is the date each year on which the qualifying conditions must be met in order for the Grant to be paid in respect of that year.

Budget 2005 extended entitlement to the Grant to all full-time carers irrespective of means or contribution record but subject to certain conditions relating to the provision of full-time care and attention. A section was set up in my Department to process applications from people in this newly entitled category.

In 2005 such applications were solicited by means of a press and publicity campaign and as a result over 7,500 people have been paid the Grant in respect of that year. The closing date for receipt of applications in respect of 2005 is 31 December 2006 and applications in respect of 2005 continue to be received. The Grant in respect of 2006 is payable to people who meet the qualifying conditions on Thursday 1 June 2006 and is payable on or as soon as practicable after that date.

Applications for the 2006 Grant from those not entitled to receive it automatically by virtue of their primary payment, are being solicited in two phases. First, those who applied for and received the Grant in 2005 have been written to enclosing a brief questionnaire to establish whether they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of the Grant in 2006. On foot of this initiative, to date, approximately 6,000 applications have been received. In addition, a small number of unsolicited applications in respect of 2006 have been received and are also being processed. To date 1,191 Grants have been paid to successful applicants.

The second phase of the campaign to identify those people who may be eligible for the Grant for the first time in 2006 will take the form of a press and publicity campaign. This will take place over the coming months. An example of a person who may be entitled to the Grant for the first time in 2006 would be a carer who is employed or self-employed for a period of between 10 and 15 hours per week and would thus be in a position to avail of the increase in the number of permitted hours of employment or self-employment outside the home, announced in Budget 2006.

By its very nature the receipt of a large volume of applications over a relatively short period creates pressures in the section processing them. However every effort is made to process these applications as soon as possible. I am satisfied that the actions being taken will ensure that the 2006 Grant applications, will be processed at the earliest possible date. I will continue to closely monitor progress in this area.