Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of the welcomed partial return of the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients if she will acknowledge the need for a similar gesture by legislating to stop the discriminating practice of allowing the no rent allowance advertisement accompanying rental properties as it is contributing to making it impossible for persons on rent allowance to find a place to live; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47000/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The reintroduction of the Christmas bonus, albeit on a partial basis, along with the other welfare measures announced in the Budget are real indicators of the economic recovery and the Government’s ambition to ensure it will be a recovery felt by all. This is the first Budget where we have had the scope to make real positive improvement for welfare recipients. This is evidenced by the €65 million we are spending on the Bonus as well as €198 million of new welfare developments which I announced in the Budget and which will come into effect next year. It is hoped that with the continuing betterment of economic conditions, further resources will be freed up for future Budgets.

In relation to rent supplement, it is clearly my preference that a person should not be refused accommodation due to the fact that they are receiving financial support from the State. This position has been advised to the two larger property website owners in terms of their advertising, following which, one subsequently removed the reference to rent supplement on their website. Officials in the Department are also engaging with those in the Department of Justice and Equality in regard to this matter.

However, the fact that approximately 71,800 people are in receipt of rent supplement, of which some 19,000 were awarded this year, shows that a significant number of persons are being accommodated by landlords under the scheme.

It is open to any person who has been refused a private tenancy and who feels discriminated against on the basis of his or her gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Travelling community to refer a discrimination complaint to the Equality Tribunal under the Equal Status Acts.