Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on modifying the qualifying criteria for the rental accommodation scheme such that either the requirement to be on social welfare or rent allowance for 18 months will be sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31950/07]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 604: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether the rental accommodation scheme is achieving value for money. [32300/07]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 604 together.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is designed to cater for the accommodation needs of persons in receipt of rent supplement who have a long-term housing need. It is a collaborative project between my Department, local authorities, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Health Service Executive.

Good progress is being made in meeting the objectives set for the scheme by Government. In particular, it is helping to bring about improvements in the quality and standards of rented accommodation, is enabling local authorities to provide greater social mix and tenant choice, and is helping to reduce dependency on rent supplement.

My Department is constantly monitoring the implementation of RAS and has recently commenced a Value for Money and Policy Review to evaluate its operations in the light of the objectives set for it. This review involves a formal evaluation of the scheme, including the financial arrangements under which it operates, and covers the period September 2005 (when the first transfer of cases took place) to the end of 2007. It is planned that the review will be completed by March 2008.

Following the completion of the review I will look again at the relevant eligibility and qualification criteria. In this respect I should point out that local authorities have discretion in admitting tenants to the scheme who are less than eighteen months on Rent Supplement and have been assessed as having a long-term housing need. In addition, certain homeless persons, who are capable of independent living and have a long-term housing need, are eligible for consideration under the scheme even if they have been less than eighteen months on rent supplement.