Private Rented Accommodation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2009

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Ceisteanna (870)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Ceist:

967 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will examine the manner in which the rental accommodation scheme is being operated in County Kildare; if his attention has been drawn to the relatively few new participants, which have been allowed into the scheme in recent months; his views on the manner in which Kildare County Council are dealing with applicants who are in part-time employment and who are being advised by the council that inclusion in the scheme would be too expensive for the Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33311/09]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran)

Since the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) commenced in 2005 to the end of August 2009, Kildare County Council has transferred a total of 692 households from rent supplement to RAS or other social housing. Of that total, 60 households have been accommodated to date in 2009. The Council have advised my Department that they will meet their 2009 target of transferring 200 rent supplement households to RAS (150) and social housing (50).

It is a matter for each individual authority to manage the transfer of rent supplement households to RAS and my Department has no function in the transfer of individual cases. The qualifying criteria for RAS are that a household must be in receipt of rent supplement, usually for 18 months or more and have a long term housing need. Households in part-time employment are not precluded from the scheme.