Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 161: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when rent support will be offered in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12747/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare service of 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 persons 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. The HSE has advised that the people concerned are living in local authority housing and therefore have no entitlement to rent supplement. They should contact the local authority with regard to any concerns they have about their rent payment.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position in relation to an application for supplementary welfare allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12748/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, is designed to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance. The community welfare officer recently asked the person concerned to provide additional information and also asked her to call to the local health centre to collect a payment. The community welfare officer tried to contact the person concerned a number of times but she has not been answering the contact telephone number provided by her.

The person concerned should call to the local health centre immediately to discuss her supplementary welfare allowance claim with the community welfare officer.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if mortgage assistance will be offered in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12749/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned was in receipt of mortgage interest supplement from 2 July 2007 to 31 December 2008 when payment ceased as she returned to full-time employment on 3 January 2009. She left employment on 14 January 2009 on health grounds.

The Executive has advised that mortgage interest supplement has been re-instated with effect from January 2009. Arrears of payment due will issue to the person concerned shortly.