I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 150 together.
The statutory instrument referred to gave effect to certain changes which were introduced in the rent supplement scheme in January 2004. Regular meetings are held between my Department and the health boards at which the operation of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is discussed. Specific discussions were held with representative groups of superintendent community welfare officers on the implementation of the rent supplement provisions.
A working group was established under the Sustaining Progress agreement to facilitate engagement with the social partners on monitoring the impact of the changes to the scheme. The working group, which was chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, included representatives from the ICTU and the community and voluntary pillar as well as my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As part of its deliberations, the group met a number of community welfare officers.
The working group examined 498 randomly selected rent supplement applications which were refused since the measures came into effect in January 2004 and found that only 11% of the refusals were because of the new measures. Many of these would have been refused on other grounds in any event. The group concluded that the new measures were not having any significant adverse impacts having regard to the design of the measures, including the operation of the appropriate levels of discretion by the community welfare officers. A total of 27,000 rent supplements have been awarded since the measures came into effect at the end of January this year.
The recent report by CentreCare and the City Centre Citizens Information Service states that its purpose was "to identify issues arising from the first six months since changes to rent supplement eligibility were introduced". The report was based on a survey of 51 cases where the applicant was refused rent supplement and information on 40 other similar cases that were not included in the survey. The report does not show that the new measures are causing hardship or crises. In some cases rent supplement was awarded. It is clear from the information given in respect of a number of other cases cited that the application had failed for reasons other than the new measures. My Department has identified a number of inaccuracies in the report and does not accept its central conclusions.
In light of the report published by the social partners working group and the fact that more than 27,000 rent supplements have been awarded since the measures became effective, it is considered that the changes in the supplementary welfare allowance rent supplement scheme have not created hardship. These arrangements are part of a wider programme of change whereby local authorities will progressively assume responsibility for meeting long-term housing needs. These new arrangements will see local authorities put in place positive solutions for people with long-term housing needs.