Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Social Protection, further to Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 17 November 2011, if she will clarify that rent allowance is not available to a parent who has less than full-time custody of his or her children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39001/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when it was decided to withdraw rent support from parents who do not have sole custody or are not the primary carer of their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39002/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if rent support is payable to either parent or not at all in the case of shared custody of a child or children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39003/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people 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 overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer.

Every claim for rent supplement is determined having regard to the particular circumstances of the applicant. Any person seeking a rent supplement must first satisfy the Department's representative that they have a housing need that they are unable to meet from their own resources. In addition, the Department must be satisfied that the residence is reasonably suited to the residential and other needs of the claimant. The Department must also be satisfied that the rent payable is reasonable having regard to the nature, character and location of the residence.

In a case where parents have joint custody of a child, the needs of both parents to have adequate accommodation to look after the child are taken into account when an application for a rent supplement is being determined. In such cases, documentation is normally required showing that a joint custody arrangement is in place and being availed of before a decision can be made. The fact that one parent is in receipt of rent supplement would not in itself preclude the other parent from being entitled to assistance towards their rent.