Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in view of the very slow impact of the rental accommodation scheme on the number of households in private rented accommodation claiming rent supplement for 18 months or longer, he will review as a priority the barriers to employment currently experienced under the qualifying criteria for rent supplement. [12188/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The programme for Government includes commitments to reduce long-term reliance on rent supplement. This is being done mainly by providing enhanced financial incentives for people taking up employment and by providing long-term housing solutions under the rental assistance scheme.

Significant changes to the means test were implemented in 2007 specifically to facilitate people returning to work. Where a person has additional income in excess of the standard weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance, the first €75 of such additional income together with 25% of any additional income above €75 is disregarded for means assessment purposes.

This improvement in the assessment of means for those with income from employment, applies to all rent supplement recipients who are engaged in employment of less than 30 hours per week. It also applies to those returning to full-time employment and who are accepted as eligible for accommodation under the rental accommodation scheme (RAS). These measures ensure that those returning to work or participating in training schemes are better off as a result of taking up such an opportunity. It is estimated that the gross annual cost of this provision is of the order of €5.2 million.

Overall I consider that the current eligibility thresholds, income disregards and associated arrangements ensure that people have a financial incentive to take up employment opportunities. I intend to keep the rent supplement scheme under review and my Department will be working closely with the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government in ensuring that RAS meets its objective of catering for those on long term rent supplementation, while enabling rent supplement to return to its original role of a short-term income support.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of times in each of the past five years where rent supplement was refused or a claim suspended or cancelled because the accommodation was found to be unfit for habitation. [12181/08]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 546: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of times in each of the past five years where rent supplement was refused or a claim suspended or cancelled due to the fact that the accommodation was found to be unfit for habitation. [12464/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 546 together.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the HSE. Enforcement of housing standards regulations is a matter for Local Authorities and the Community Welfare Service of the HSE is not qualified to undertake this work. However, under legislation introduced by my predecessor in October 2006 the Health Service Executive (HSE) can decide that a rent supplement may not be payable where it has been notified by a housing authority regarding the non-compliance with standards.

Where a notification is received from a housing authority in respect of an existing tenant, the Community Welfare Officer would discuss the situation with the tenant and take whatever action it decides is necessary in the best interests of the tenant. These arrangements are aimed at improving the standards of accommodation which rent supplement tenants occupy and support the local authority in meeting their responsibilities in relation to housing standards.

The most recent information available from the Health Service Executive (HSE) is that it has received 18 notifications of failure to meet housing standards since the new arrangements came into place in October 2006. 12 of these notifications were in respect of existing tenancies and all rent supplement claims have been terminated. 6 were in respect of tenancies which were not rent supplemented and rent supplement has not been paid in respect of these tenancies since notification was received.

Where the executive becomes aware of accommodation or blocks of accommodation which appears to it to be sub-standard, it notifies the local authority and it may advise prospective tenants at that premises that rent supplement will not be paid in respect of these tenancies. Details of new rent supplements are given to the PRTB in order to ensure that these tenancies are registered by landlords. Revenue generated from registration of additional tenancies will support the inspection of accommodation.

In addition details of rent supplement tenancies that are of more than 18 months duration are notified to local authorities every quarter. This information is primarily for the purpose of identifying rent supplement tenants for transfer to the Rental Accommodation Scheme. However local authorities inspect the accommodation concerned before accepting them on to RAS and this information sharing assists in enforcing standards.