David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in cases of joint custody, it is his Department's policy and practice to assess both parents in the same manner when applying for rent supplement. [42046/06]

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. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

Every claim for rent supplement is determined having regard to the particular circumstances of the applicant. Any person seeking a rent supplement must first satisfy the Executive that they have a housing need that they are unable to meet from their own resources. In addition, the Executive must be satisfied that the residence is reasonably suited to the residential and other needs of the claimant. The Executive must also be satisfied that the rent payable is reasonable having regard to the nature, character and location of the residence.

In a case where parents have joint custody of a child, the needs of both parents to have adequate accommodation to look after the child are taken into account when an application for a rent supplement is being determined. In such cases, documentation is normally required showing the joint custody arrangement before a decision can be made. The fact that the one parent is in receipt of rent supplement would not in itself preclude the other parent from being entitled to assistance towards their rent.