Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the case of persons (details supplied) in Kildare whose rent allowance was approved from a date six months after they had taken up occupancy of a residential unit and in a situation in which their father has been continuously included on the council's assessment of need since 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41453/12]

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.

The person concerned was awarded a rent supplement from 23 March 2012 in accordance with a Housing Needs Assessment from Kildare County Council which certified a housing need from that date. If Kildare County Council considers that a Housing Need existed for the family prior to that date, written verification will need to be provided to the Department.