Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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347. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if all taxi drivers are refused rent supplement as a matter of Departmental policy; if so, the basis for this policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22486/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of rent supplement 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. There are currently approximately 86,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million for 2013.

There is no guidance or legislation from the Department which states that taxi drivers should be refused rent supplement as a matter of policy. Each application for rent supplement, whether by taxi drivers or any other applicant, is decided in accordance with the legislation governing the scheme.