Conor Lenihan
Ceist:297 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the way in which the health boards contribute to the rent subsidy scheme. [5537/99]
Written Answers. - Rent Subsidy Scheme.
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:298 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the progress achieved to date by his Department in relation to the review of the way in which the rent subsidy scheme operates. [5624/99]
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:299 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to change the operation of the rent subsidy scheme. [5626/99]
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 297, 298 and 299 together.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme a weekly supplement may be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to eligible people in receipt of social welfare or health board payments. Entitlement to a supplement is determined by the health boards and supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent or mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to the family circumstances, less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which clients are required to pay from their own resources.
The Comptroller and Auditor General carried out a value for money study into the administration of SWA in 1998 and found widespread agreement that SWA housing supplements should not be administered by the health boards as part of SWA. An inter-departmental committee, under the aegis of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, is currently examining the implications of transferring the administration of SWA housing supplements to the local authorities. The work of the committee is well advanced and I understand that its report is expected to be finalised and presented to Government in the next few weeks.
Any development of the SWA rent and mortgage interest supplement scheme will be considered in the context of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's report and the report of the inter-departmental committee.