Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 1

Written Answers - Local Authority Housing.

Seán Ryan

Question:

451 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by local authority housing applicants in need of accommodation whereby one of the applicants, in the case of couples, working with a modest income is preventing the applicants from securing assistance with rent for private rented accommodation; and if he will respond to this problem by modifying the regulations in respect of income from employment. [11828/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

As the Deputy may be aware, the Government has decided, in principle, to introduce a new scheme of private sector rent assistance to be operated by the local authorities. One of the objectives of the new scheme will be to ensure that a full range of housing options is available to people with long-term housing needs, including those on local authority waiting lists who are renting in the private rented sector. The Government has also taken a number of other initiatives to improve the supply of social and affordable housing. The priority, therefore, is to provide housing solutions rather than social welfare solutions to meet the housing needs of people on low to modest incomes.

The supplementary welfare allowance – SWA – scheme has a different role to play. It is an income maintenance measure that provides a short-term "safety net" within the overall social welfare system to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to lack of minimum resources. The SWA scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The conditions for receiving rent and mortgage interest supplement will be examined as part of the review of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is currently being undertaken as part of my Department's series of formal programme evaluations. Any changes that are needed will be considered in the context of developments in social housing provision and in the wider housing area aimed at improving the housing position of people on low incomes.