Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to rescind the ban in Ballymun, Dublin 11 under the rent supplement scheme which was due to the regeneration project, given that this project is coming to a close. [18572/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The provision of rent supplement in the Ballymun designated area of regeneration was identified by housing authorities as a risk to the tenure diversity objective of the project, aimed at achieving a balanced tenure mix through the provision of additional private market housing. In response to these concerns, Section 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 provided that a payment of rent supplement can be refused in respect of accommodation which is situated in an area notified to the Minister for Social Protection by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, as being an area of regeneration. An amendment to an area of regeneration is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The measures provided for in Section 25 are not a blanket refusal of rent supplement in areas of regeneration. Specific provision is made to ensure that:

- people already residing in such areas and in receipt of rent supplement may continue to receive payment; and

- people already residing in such areas in private rental accommodation and who may have recourse to rent supplement in the future would not have their entitlement restricted.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.