Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the formula her Department uses to calculate the market rents rate for County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25874/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another 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. There are currently approximately 95,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement, with €436m provided in 2012.

New maximum rent limits came into force on 1 January 2012. These new limits are in line with the most up to date market data available. The emphasis of the rent limit review was to ensure that maximum value for money for tenants and the taxpayer was achieved whilst at the same time ensuring that people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation.

For all counties, major urban population centres were tested as part of the review to ensure that rent supplement applicants can access temporary housing arrangements whilst seeking employment opportunities. In the case of Meath the following areas were isolated for consideration: Ashbourne; Athboy; Bettystown; Dunshaughlin; Navan; Trim; Ratoath; Kells; Laytown; Enfield; and the rest of Meath county as a whole. Current information shows there is accommodation available at the new maximum rent limits in county Meath.

The focus of the review was primarily based on ensuring an adequate level of housing stock is available, using the 40th percentile as the basis for establishing rent limits. The full report of the review of maximum rent limits is available on the Department's website at the attached link: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Policy/ResearchSurveysAndStatistics/Pages/rentreview2011.aspx.