Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason a person must be in receipt of rent allowance to qualify for the rent accommodation scheme; if the person has a valid housing need can they not be considered for RAS regardless of rent allowance; if any exceptions may be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15370/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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It is open to any person or household to apply to a housing authority for an assessment of their housing need. It is a matter solely for the housing authority concerned to determine whether an applicant for social housing support is eligible for and in need of that support in accordance with the provisions of section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, regulations made under that section, and having regard to the particular circumstances of the case.

Households that are assessed by a housing authority to have a housing need have a range of housing supports available to satisfy their need regardless of whether or not they are in receipt of Rent Supplement (RS).

The Rental Accommodation Scheme is a targeted scheme to cater for the accommodation needs of certain persons in receipt of rent supplement, normally for more than 18 months and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need. In that context the primary objective of RAS is to accommodate rent supplement recipients where it is deemed that they now have a long-term housing need.