Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if changes have been made to the rules governing single male parents' rent supplement that until recently could be paid for a two and three bedroom house depending on the number of children the father has access to as part of custody arrangements; if community welfare officers have been instructed to only provide a single person's allowance in circumstances where the applicant is not claiming social welfare for his children meaning that he is being deprived of his right to family life and if so will she take steps to reverse the directive. [16051/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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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.