Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when jobseekers allowance will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33212/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance on 2 July 2008 and on receipt of all the necessary information and documentation a decision has been made on her claim. Her claim has been disallowed on the grounds that she failed to satisfy the Deciding Officer that she has made genuine efforts in seeking work. In particular, she failed to submit any evidence of having made an application for an advertised job vacancy. Notification of the decision, and her right to appeal, issued on 20 September 2008. There is no trace of an appeal registered at this time. The person concerned is in receipt of Supplementary Welfare Allowance from 2006 to date.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the application for rent support of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33213/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. One of the conditions for receipt of rent supplement is that the Executive must be satisfied that "the claimant is in need of accommodation and is unable to provide for it from his or her own resources".

The Executive has advised that the person concerned was refused rent supplement as it was not satisfied that he is in need of accommodation. The Executive has further advised that an appeal to the HSE Appeals Office against the decision to refuse rent supplement was unsuccessful. A further appeal has now been lodged with the Social Welfare Appeals Office.