Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not received a rent subsidy payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9589/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Rent supplements are subject to a statutory limit on the amount of rent that an applicant for supplement may incur. The Health Service Executive may in respect of sub-divisions of its functional areas, set levels that are below that provided for in these regulations.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement on the grounds that the rent payable for her accommodation was in excess of the maximum limit for her area of residence and for her household size. The Executive further advises that it wrote to the person concerned on the matter in January of this year. She did not reply and has not been in contact since. It is open to the person concerned to again contact the Executive should she wish to clarify the position as regards the conditions of entitlement to rent supplement and the manner in which rent limits apply under the scheme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused unemployment assistance, in view of the fact that this person previously worked all their life. [9636/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance from 10 January 2007 at the weekly rate of €185.80. He made a retrospective application for the period from 27 October 2006 to 9 January 2007. A Deciding Officer was not satisfied that the person concerned fulfilled the conditions for receipt of jobseeker's allowance for the period in question and disallowed the application. It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision and a form for this purpose has been issued to him.

Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.