John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if rent allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will expedite a positive response. [32546/09]

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 service of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has advised that it has no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to make an application for rent supplement, she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if mortgage support will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied). [32548/09]

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 service of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The purpose of mortgage interest supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance, appropriate to their family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of €24 per week, which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. A non-dependent adult household member is also required to contribute a minimum of €24 per week towards the mortgage payment.

The Health Service Executive has advised that it refused payment of a mortgage interest supplement to the person concerned, on the grounds that the household income is sufficient to meet the mortgage interest repayment when account is taken of the minimum contribution payable by the person concerned and the non-dependent household member, towards the mortgage repayment. If the person concerned is not satisfied with the decision of the Executive, it is open for him to appeal to a HSE Appeals Officer and thereafter to the Chief Appeals Officer of the Department.