Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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565. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total number in each county in receipt of private rental rent supplement social housing support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26444/21]

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 19,570 recipients at the end of April 2021.

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 or income, can continue to meet their rental commitments.

Rent supplement recipients by county is provided in the attached tabular statement. 

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy. 

Tabular Statement

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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566. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason foster parents are required to be available for work in order to avail of jobseeker’s payments when they are not allowed to leave the child with a childminder under the terms of fostering; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26499/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The two main income supports provided by my Department for people who are unable to find full time employment are Jobseeker's Benefit, which is based on a person's social insurance contributions paid while in employment and Jobseeker's Allowance which is a means tested payment.

To be eligible for a Jobseeker’s payment a person must satisfy all of the qualifying conditions of the statutory scheme, including being available for and genuinely seeking work, which are fundamental requirements of being a jobseeker.  A foster carer may not be in a position to satisfy  the  conditions for a jobseeker’s payment due to the responsibilities of that role.  

The provision of fostering services is a matter for Tusla (The Child and Family Agency).  This includes any supports, including financial, that are required by the foster parent or the foster child.  A weekly payment is payable to the foster carer by Tusla.  The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week per child under 12 and €352 per week per child over 12 These  rates are above the maximum weekly personal rate of €241 for a Jobseeker and a qualified child under 12 years or €248  in the case of a jobseeker and a qualified child over 12 years.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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567. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which the processing of applications for various social welfare payments is in line with the most expeditious practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26548/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all customers, ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible and that backlogs of claims are kept to a minimum. All schemes operate to published processing times which are subject to ongoing monitoring and review. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the customer, thereby lengthening the decision- making process.

Recent data across a number of schemes is outlined in the following table:

As part of the Department’s programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.

In addition, the staffing needs of the Department are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.