James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40527/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on 21 June 2010. This application was referred to one of the Department's Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for domiciliary care allowance. A letter issued to the person concerned on 3 September 2010 advising her of the decision to refuse domiciliary care allowance. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. As yet, no appeal has been registered in this case.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way the 30 hour rule in respect of rent and mortgage interest supplement is operated in the circumstances where a person is availing of the back to work enterprise allowance in view of the fact that the participant will be working at his or her new business for over 30 hours a week. [40688/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Rent or mortgage interest supplement is not normally payable where a person or their spouse or partner is in full-time employment, that is for 30 hours or more a week. However, provision was made in 2007 whereby a person on rent supplement participating on the back to work enterprise allowance scheme, who is accepted as eligible for accommodation under the rental accommodation scheme ("RAS"), may return to full-time work, subject to a means test, without losing the entire rent supplement payment. Those who transfer to RAS and engage in employment will have the advantage of the differential rent scheme which is administered by the various local authorities.

Arrangements are also in place to allow a person to participate in the back to work enterprise allowance or to engage in full-time employment and retain entitlement to mortgage interest supplement for up to 4 years on a tapered basis. If a claimant is on an approved scheme they can retain 75% of their mortgage interest supplement in year 1, 50% in year 2, and 25% in years 3 and 4. This arrangement is subject to the claimant's income being below an income threshold, currently €317.43. Any amount of back to work allowance payable and family income supplement is disregarded in the assessment of household income. PRSI and reasonable travelling expenses are also disregarded.