Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding rent allowance from the Health Service Executive in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29565/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, transferred formally to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP.

The person concerned was refused rent supplement for a number of reasons including that the rent payable was in excess of the maximum amount in respect of which a supplement is payable for his family size. In addition, the person in question did not provide the Department's representative with all of the information requested in order to process his claim.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of landlords on a county basis in receipt of rent supplement; the amount being paid on a county basis; if each landlord is registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board; if she ensures that each property is registered before approving payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29573/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The community welfare service (CWS) and the community welfare officers providing it transferred formally to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP.

Since 2005 rent supplement expenditure has increased from €369 million to €516 million in 2010. The number of persons claiming the allowance increased from almost 60,200 persons in 2005 to some 95,700 as at October 2011, a 59% increase.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, landlords are legally obliged to register tenancies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). However, not all tenancies are required to be registered with the PRTB as the relevant legislation provides for certain exceptions.

Where registration is required, the landlord has up to one month after the commencement of the tenancy to register it with the PRTB at the standard fee and longer to register at a higher fee. It is therefore not practical for the Department to insist that a tenancy be registered before rent supplement can be paid to the tenant as the establishment of the tenancy will be dependent on rent supplement being awarded.

The Department works closely with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) to help ensure that rent supplement tenancies comply with the statutory system of tenancy regulation and safeguards. The Department advises the PRTB of all new rent supplemented tenancies to assist them in implementing tenancy regulations and co-operates in any initiatives taken by the PRTB to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act.

The number of landlords and expenditure on rent supplement are not available on a county basis. However, the table provides details on the number of rent supplement tenancies in payment at end 2010. Rent Supplement Recipients