Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 435: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who was refused a rent supplement on 13 October 2006 is still awaiting the outcome of their appeal on that decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12444/07]

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 objective of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of an eligible person living in private rented accommodation who is unable to provide for his or her accommodation costs from within his or her own resources and who does not have accommodation available from any other source. One of the conditions for receipt of rent supplement is that the applicant must be deemed to have a genuine housing need which cannot be met from any other source.

The Health Service Executive has been contacted regarding this case and has advised that it had refused payment of rent supplement to the person concerned on the grounds that she had vacated accommodation provided to her by the local housing authority.

The Executive has further advised that the decision was upheld by the HSE's designated Appeals Officer on 20 th December 2006 and that the person concerned was notified of this decision in writing. The person concerned was also notified in writing of her right to appeal the HSE appeals officer's decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. To date, that office has not received an appeal from the person concerned.