Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Cork retains their rent subsidy from the Southern Health Service Executive; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this person had has been informed that their rent subsidy will be withdrawn as this person had applied for placement on a VTOS course in Fermoy, County Cork, but owing to limited spaces on the course, places were allocated to applicants with less education qualifications and the person was not placed; and if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that this person is in receipt of €199 per week one parent family allowance and €40 per week maintenance and that they will have to vacate their premises if their subsidy is withdrawn and become homeless. [34362/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive. A person who takes up a place on a VTOS course has their entitlement to rent supplement determined in the same way as any other person applying for rent supplement. Where a person's only source of income is their VTOS allowance the rate of rent supplement payable will not be reduced as a result of their participation on the VTOS course.

The Executive has advised that the rent supplement claim of the person concerned is currently subject to a routine review of entitlement. The Executive has further advised that, if there is any change in her entitlement to rent supplement, the person concerned will be notified of the position.