John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if rent allowance or other assistance will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [41186/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive, provides for the payment of rent supplement to eligible people whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. For these purposes, employment for 30 hours or more per week is regarded as full-time. The Executive has advised that, following a notification that the person concerned commenced full-time employment, it contacted him and requested details of the employment. This information has not been provided and accordingly the payment of rent supplement has been suspended.

According to my Department's records family income supplement which is a weekly tax-free payment for families, including one-parent families at work on low pay has recently been awarded to the person concerned. A weekly payment of €149 will issue shortly together with any outstanding arrears.