Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average reduction in the rate of payment of rent allowance over the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2620/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. 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. There were almost 60,000 recipients of rent supplement at the end of 2007 at a cost of €392 million. At the end of 2008 numbers on rent supplement had increased to just over 74,000 at a cost of €441million.

The average weekly rent supplement payment at the end of 2007 was €128.43 and €125.87 at the end of 2008. This reflects a general reduction in rent levels in 2008. Data from the CSO's 'privately owned rent index' indicates that rent levels have declined by more than 10% in 2008. This deceleration in rent levels is also reflected in the Daft.ie quarter three rental report which showed reductions in rent of between 3% and 5% depending on location.