Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if an internship allowance can be used to determine rent allowance or deducted from rent allowance by a council (details supplied) when other councils do not factor this into their rent allowance or differential rents scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44767/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The operation of the rent supplement scheme is entirely a matter for my colleague the nister for Social Protection.

The decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual housing authority to consider in accordance with their own rent scheme.Section 31 of the Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, when commenced, will replace existing enactments in relation to differential rent schemes. Regulations and guidelines for housing authorities to give effect to section 31 are currently in preparation in my Department. When these are made authorities will have one year in which to put in place a differential rent scheme under the new provisions. While it is not the intention to introduce a national standardised differential rent scheme, the regulations to be made will more clearly set out the matters that may be included in a local rents scheme, including the level, type and sources of household income that may be assessed for rent purposes.