John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 623: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the financial assistance available to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo towards their rent payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14486/07]

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 Executive has advised that, according to its records, it has not received an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to enquire as to their possible entitlement to rent supplement, they should contact the Executive who will advise them accordingly.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 624: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16 is excluded from the non-contributory State pension despite being of pension age and is excluded under the Social Welfare Act 1908; his plans to amend this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14521/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means tested payment for people aged 66 and over which was introduced in September 2006 to replace the Old Age Pension. All income including cash income, private pensions, foreign pensions, the value of any property (excluding the claimant's own home) and the value of any investments and capital which the claimant may have is assessable as means for the purposes of the State Pension Non-Contributory. The means of the spouse or partner living with the pensioner are also taken into account.

The person concerned applied for an Old Age Non Contributory Pension in January 2006. An assessment of the person's means was determined by a Social Welfare Inspector in February 2006. A Deciding Officer's decision dated the 8th of March 2006 found that the customer was not entitled to Old Age Non-Contributory Pension as her means, assessed at €364 per week, exceeded the then statutory limit of €185.10 per week. Currently the weekly means limit stands at €227.50.

In March 2006 the person was informed of the decision and of her right of appeal if she was not satisfied. She appealed the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the Appeals Officer having considered evidence from the claimant, disallowed the appeal in May 2006. Subsequently the customer lodged a complaint with the Equality Tribunal alleging discrimination under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004. The case was referred for mediation and a hearing took place on the 5th of February 2007. On completion of the hearing, the Equality Mediation Officer stated that the customer's entitlement had been decided in compliance with the law and as such the case could not be resolved through mediation. The complainant was given the opportunity to make application for resumption of the case but failed to do so within the stipulated 28 day period.

As the Deputy may be aware the Government is committed to publishing a Green Paper on pensions and this will be done in the near future. The Green Paper will set out the issues and challenges faced by our pensions system with a view to establishing a framework for future pensions policy. The position of older people who are not at present receiving any pension support through the social welfare system will be discussed in the Green Paper and decisions made with regard to their position in the context of the development of the framework for future policy in this area.