Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average cost to the State per week of a household supported through rent supplement, broken down by unit size, including one bed, two bed and three bed units. [38259/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

At the end of September 2008, there were 67,519 people in receipt of rent supplement. The average weekly rent supplement payment is €128.15. Data on the average cost per unit size is not available.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the assistance available from her Department for self-employed tradespeople whose income and turnover has substantially declined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38297/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Self-employed persons pay a modified rate of PRSI contribution (Class S). These contributions provide cover for long-term pensions such as state pension and widow's/widower's contributory pension. However they do not provide cover for short-term benefits such as jobseeker's and illness benefits. Where a self-employed person had been in insurable employment and has PRSI contribution at appropriate class s/he may qualify for a jobseeker's benefit payment.

To get a jobseeker's payment a person must fulfil certain conditions including that the person be available for work and be looking for work. A self-employed person with the relevant contributions paid may qualify for a jobseeker's benefit payment if they are unemployed for three days or more in any period of six consecutive days.

If a self-employed person has not got sufficient PRSI contributions they may qualify for a jobseeker's allowance which is a means-tested payment. Generally, in assessing the means of a self-employed person, a Social Welfare Inspector will take into account the level of earnings in the preceding 12 months to determine their expected income in the following year. However, with the general downturn in the construction industry at the moment it is accepted that less work is available in that sector and that earnings in the previous 12 months may not be representative of expected earnings in the coming year. The Social Welfare Inspector will take account of this fact in projecting future earnings.

The means test also involves an assessment of the person's savings and investments, any property they may own apart from the family home, and any other income such as a pension from a former employer or from another country. If the weekly means assessed are less than the appropriate rate for the jobseeker's allowance scheme, the person will qualify for a payment regardless of the number of days worked in any week. If the weekly means exceed the appropriate rate, the person will have no entitlement to a payment.

Persons engaged in self-employment pay PRSI contributions as follows:

The vast majority of persons in insurable employment pay a Class A PRSI contribution, details of which are set out in the following table:

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 375: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person who is in receipt of the old age pension, and whose spouse becomes seriously ill and is also in receipt of the old age pension, and who is in need of constant full time care and attention, is entitled to carer's allowance because of the health condition of their spouse whereby they must be available at all times to give the necessary help, attendance and medical treatment to the care recipient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38471/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's allowance is a means tested income support payment for people who are providing full-time care and attention to a person in need of such care.

Budget 2007 provided for new arrangements whereby people can receive a maximum payment equivalent to a half-rate carers allowance while receiving another social welfare payment, other than jobseeker's benefit or allowance. Persons in receipt of a state pension contributory or non-contributory who satisfy the conditions for receipt of carer's allowance may qualify for a half-rate carer's allowance in addition to their pension.

People in receipt of carer's allowance (regardless of age) are eligible for the household benefits package which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, the telephone allowance and the free television licence scheme. The annual value of the household benefits package is in the region of €1,000 a year. Recipients of carer's allowance also qualify for the free travel scheme.

From June 2005, the annual respite care grant was extended to all carers who are providing full-time care regardless of their income. The rate of the grant increased to €1,700 per year from June 2008.