Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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517. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if changes can be made to ensure that telecommunications assistance can be enhanced in order that applicants with queries concerning rent supplement allowance can be supported as efficiently and as expeditiously as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23953/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,400 recipients. The scheme provides short-term income 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 scheme ensures that those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments. The rent supplement scheme is administered by local Community Welfare Officers based in Intreo Centres across the country.

Provision of a prompt service is a major objective for the Department. The Department's Intreo centres are now open to the public Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm; and customers can contact my Department by phone or by email.

The Department has, for areas with high demand, established rent hubs to process applications, providing a speedy response to customers and a direct line of contact for any queries that arise. Officers processing individual claims at these rent units can be contacted by phone or email. The use of rent hubs by the Department allows the customer to contact the officer dealing with their claim outside regular clinic times.

My Department continually reviews all areas of its business, to ensure that the best use is made of available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department to meet the changing needs of customers during these unprecedented times.

If the Deputy has a concern in relation to access for an individual location, he can provide the details to my Department, which will follow up and provide appropriate feedback.

I trust that this clarifies the position.