Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the checks that are made to rental properties before rent allowance is paid to claimants and the number of Inspectors employed by her Department to inspect these properties before occupation. [29625/12]

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 93,800 persons in receipt of rent supplement, for which the Government has provided €436m in 2012.

Responsibility for setting and enforcing housing standards rests with the Local Authorities. However, accommodation occupied by rent supplement tenants should at least meet minimum housing standards. In consultation with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, S.I. No. 572 of 2006 and Section 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 introduced the condition that allows the Department's officers administering supplementary welfare allowance to decide that a rent supplement may not be payable where it has been notified by a housing authority of the non-compliance with standards.

Where such a notification is received from a housing authority in respect of an existing tenant, it is recommended that the designated officer would discuss the situation with the tenant and take whatever action it decides is necessary in the best interests of the tenant. This approach supports the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in their aim to promote further improvement in private rented accommodation standards.