Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she will act on the request to redesignate Ballymun under section 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17870/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas advised me last week that he has decided that the Ballymun area merits designation as an area of regeneration for the purposes of Section 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007. This section of the Act provides that rent supplement shall not be payable in general, the objective being to achieve social integration.

The measures provided for in Section 25 are not a blanket refusal of rent supplement in areas of regeneration. Specific provision is made to ensure that:

people already residing in such areas and in receipt of rent supplement may continue to receive payment; and

people already residing in such areas in private rental accommodation and who may have recourse to rent supplement in the future would not have their entitlement restricted. Arrangements will be made by all parties to ensure that vulnerable groups or individuals who are dependent on rent supplement now or may be so dependant in the future are adequately catered for in Ballymun.

Officials of my Department are currently examining the request to invoke the provisions of Section 25 in the Ballymun regeneration area, with a view to ensuring that all operational issues arising, are identified and resolved prior to implementation. It is not intended that the Section 25 provisions will be open-ended. Once in place, the arrangements will be kept under review by both Departments.