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Private Rented Accommodation Standards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2012

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Questions (234)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

234. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the procedures regarding properties housing rent supplement recipients that fail environmental health inspections and the protections in place to ensure that recipients of rent supplement whose rental property has failed environmental health inspections or been given improvement notices do not end up homeless if the rent supplement is withdrawn. [40465/12]

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Written answers

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 90,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement, for which the Government has provided €436m in 2012.

Standards for rented houses are set in regulations by the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Responsibility for enforcing these standards rests with the relevant housing authority. In consultation with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, S.I. No. 572 of 2006 and Section 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 introduced the condition that allows the Department’s officers to decide that a rent supplement may not be payable where it has been notified by a housing authority of the non-compliance with standards. Where such a notification is received from a housing authority in respect of an existing tenant, it is recommended that the officer would discuss the situation with the tenant and take whatever action they decide is necessary in the best interests of the tenant. Department officers dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure that their accommodation needs are met. This approach supports the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in their aim to promote further improvement in private rented accommodation standards.

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