Vol. 423 No. 5
34 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total amount paid by the various health boards throughout the country by way of rent allowance in respect of private rented dwellings in the last twelve month period for which statistics are available; the total number of single persons accommodated under this heading; the number of families of two or more included in the total; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
118 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total amounts paid through the health boards in respect of mortgage interest relief in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
119 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total amounts paid through the various health boards to families in respect of rent supplement for private rented dwellings in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 118 and 119 together.
Health boards do not maintain statistical records in such a way as to provide the information requested by the Deputy. However, by way of illustration it is estimated that total expenditures on rent and mortgage supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme were in the region of £14 million and £5 million respectively in 1991. The average number of recipients in receipt of a rent supplement was approximately 9,300 in any one week in 1991. The average weekly number of recipients in receipt of a mortgage supplement was approximately 2,200.
