Vol. 467 No. 1
275 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether a family (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who have five children and have been homeless for more than three months will be granted a rent allowance in view of the special circumstances of their case. [12603/96]
Section 179 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993 as substituted by paragraph 3 of the Sixth Schedule to the Act provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement, including rent and mortgage interest supplements, to a person whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. It is a condition of any claimant's entitlement to a supplement under article 9 (2) (d) that a person must not have vacated accommodation provided by a housing authority, or if he has done so, the health board must be satisfied that he had good reason for doing so. In this case the family in question vacated their local authority house following intimidation. At present, they are living in bed and breakfast accommodation secured by the Eastern Health Board on their behalf. They are currently seeking private rented accommodation. If they secure suitable private rented accommodation, they may apply to the Eastern Health Board for a rent supplement. The board will assess their claim and will advise them of their entitlements.
