Vol. 481 No. 5
32 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if it is intended to alter the existing rent supplement scheme in view of the commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium to co-ordinate housing policy under one Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16432/97]
A housing review group was set up by the Government in July 1994 to examine rent and mortgage interest supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
In the report presented to Government in December 1995, the housing review group recommended that there should be "an integrated approach to the assessment of housing need and that the allocation of housing resources should be adopted within a single legislative framework". Subsequently the Department of the Environment established an inter-departmental committee to advise the Government on the implications of transferring responsibility to local authorities for meeting the housing needs currently being met under SWA.
The work of the committee on the main issues arising from the transfer of the administration of rent and mortgage supplementation to the local authorities is well advanced and the committee's report is expected by the end of this year.
There will be no change in the existing administration of the rent supplement scheme until that report has been received by me and examined in detail.
