Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount spent in rent supplement in each county and city for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10937/07]

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.

Details of the expenditure on rent supplement by county or city are not available. However, the tables provide details of the expenditure in 2006 for rent supplement by former Health Board Area and the number of recipients of rent supplement by county for that year.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason there are two identification numbers attached to a travel pass; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the form for the smart travel card is causing confusion for applicants as to which number is supposed to be included on the front of the form. [10943/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Most free travel passes currently in circulation contain a client number which is an internal reference number used by my Department's computer systems. Passes issued since May 2006, however, use the PPS number as the reference number. This change was introduced in the context of my Department updating its computer systems as part of a programme of modernizing service delivery. This new system is based on the Personal Public Service (PPS) number as the main reference number for customers.

It should be noted that each free travel pass only has one reference number, either the PPS No. or the client number, but not both. The vast majority of free travel users, however, still have the client number, rather than the PPS number, on their free travel pass. Until all existing free travel passes are replaced, the situation will continue where customers may have either the client number or the PPS number on their pass.

I recently announced the implementation of the all-Ireland free travel scheme commencing from 2 April, which will enable pensioners resident here and in Northern Ireland to travel free of charge on all eligible transport services on the island. People who wish to avail of this scheme must apply for a special travel card, called a smart pass. They must bring relevant documentation, including photographs, to a Social Welfare Local Office so that their applications can be processed. In this connection they are asked to include on their application forms both their PPS number and the reference number that appears on their current pass if different. Inclusion of both numbers on the application form will allow for linking the issue of the smart pass to the existing Free Travel Card. Staff are available in our local offices to assist customers in completing the forms and in ensuring the correct identification numbers are provided.