Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1235: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding entitlement to rent allowance for a family who had an apartment, sold it to buy somewhere bigger for the children, lost their job before securing a new dwelling, and are now told they cannot qualify for rent allowance because they once owned property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33085/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for rent supplement a person must have been residing in private rented accommodation or accommodation for homeless persons or an institution (or any combination of these) for a period of 183 days within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim for rent supplement. A person may also qualify for rent supplement where an assessment of housing need has been carried out within the 12 months preceding the date of claim and the person is deemed by the relevant local authority to be eligible for and in need of social housing support.

In all other cases, a person who wishes to apply for rent supplement is referred, in the first instance, for an assessment of eligibility for social housing support by the local housing authority in the area where claim to rent supplement is made (and the person intends to reside). Therefore, the family concerned should apply to be assessed for social housing support, following which they can be considered for rent supplement, if eligible.