Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 7

Written Answers. - Housing Supplements.

James Leonard

Ceist:

39 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to ensure better value for money from the supplementary welfare allowance housing supplements in view of the escalating costs under this scheme in recent years. [8785/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

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.

A housing review group was set up in September 1994 to examine rent and mortgage interest supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. This group recommended in its report, which was presented to the Minister in December 1995, that "an integrated approach to the assessment of housing need and the allocation of housing resources should be adopted within a single legislative framework".

Following the publication of this housing review group report, an interdepartmental committee under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, and with representatives from the Departments of Health, Social Welfare, and Finance, was established.

The purpose of this committee is to make recommendations to Government as to how the proposal in the programme for Government, A Government of Renewal, which contains a commitment that "all forms of social housing assistance will be administered by the local authority" can be carried out.

The work of the committee is to examine the main issues arising from the proposed transfer of the administration of rent and mortgage supplementation to the local authorities. This committee will report to Government in due course.