Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Social Protection in the case of parents who have separated and have agreed joint custody, but have not gone through a legal separation, and where one or both of the parents is applying for rent supplement, if they are each entitled to receive rent supplement adequate to house themselves plus the children they are jointly caring for; if it is the case that, in the absence of a judicial separation, the parent with less custody for example three days per week is not entitled to rent supplement to cover the cost of renting a home to house the children as well; and if this is the case, if she will justify this situation, and explain the reason it should not be sufficient, for example, to get a notarised document certifying that the parent has custody of the children on the appropriate number of days per week in order to qualify as a family for rent supplement purposes. [29893/12]

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. Persons seeking a rent supplement must, firstly, satisfy the Department 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.