Written answers

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Social Welfare Benefits

8:00 pm

Photo of John O'MahonyJohn O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1313: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the living alone allowance is part of a person's income for rent assessment purposes for local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36145/07]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions subject to the following broad principles laid down by my Department: the rent payable should be related to income and a smaller proportion of income should be required from low income households; allowances should be made for dependent children including those under 21 years of age in full-time education; a contribution towards rent should be required from subsidiary earners in the household; provision should be included for the acceptance of a lower rent than that required under the terms of the scheme in exceptional cases where payment of the normal rent would give rise to hardship; and appropriate local factors should be taken into account including the costs of the maintenance and management of the stock of rented dwellings and the adequacy of the rental income to meet such costs. Decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual local authority and I have no function in such matters.

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