Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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194. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it was not until 2009 that those applying for rent supplement had to be on a local authority waiting list, prior to this the applicant brought in a SW3A form and it was signed automatically, the implication of this is that those persons who had their SW3A signed before 2009 assumed they were on the housing lists but unfortunately it has come to light that this is not the case therefore increasing numbers are making applications for housing having believed they were on the list for years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23257/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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To qualify for social housing support a household must meet the eligibility and need criteria set down in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. This includes households who were on the social housing list prior to the introduction of the Regulations in 2011.

The issue of qualification for rent supplement is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. When a household qualifies for rent supplement it does not automatically qualify for social housing support.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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195. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities are allowed to put the local property tax onto rents of local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23258/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Housing rents are set in accordance with a rent scheme adopted by each local authority. The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of housing authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions.

The current arrangements for determining local authority rents will be substantially replaced on the coming into force over the next year of provisions of Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. That section predates the Local Property Tax legislation and does not make provision for the new tax to be taken into account in the determination of rents.