Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount she expects to save by including carer's allowance as income when assessing family income supplement. [3336/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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It was announced on Budget Day that income from weekly carer's payments will be included for the purposes of calculating entitlement to Family Income Supplement in line with other welfare payments. The measure will be implemented on a phased basis over 3 years with one third of the income from carer's allowance and carer's benefit payments assessed in 2012, two thirds in 2013 and full assessment in 2014. The savings in 2012 from this measure will be less than €1m.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to change the regulations governing the awarding of rent supplement; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in many instances the Health Service Executive award rent supplement in respect of houses which are not registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board, and her plans to put an end to the practice. [3340/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Since 2005 rent supplement expenditure has increased from €369 million to a provisional outturn of €503 million in 2011. The number of persons claiming the allowance increased from almost 60,200 persons in 2005 to over 96,800 as at end 2011, a 61% increase.

Landlords are legally obliged to register tenancies with the PRTB within one month from the start date of the tenancy or at a later date on payment of an increased fee. For this reason, it is not practicable for the Department to insist that a tenancy be registered with the PRTB before payment of rent supplement can be made. There are also instances where a rent supplement tenancy need not be registered with the PRTB, for example, in the case of renting a room in a house or where a property is owner occupied. Rent supplement tenancies which are liable for registration with the PRTB, should be so registered.

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.