Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Mar 1996

Vol. 463 No. 5

Written Answers. - Local Authority Rents.

John Ellis

Question:

119 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will introduce an amendment to the Social Welfare Bill 1996 in order to permit rents for local authority tenants to be paid direct by means of a deduction from social welfare payments. [6803/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

There is legislative provision to enable local authority tenants to pay their rents by means of direct deduction from their social welfare entitlements. The provision is contained in section 240 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993.

At present the deduction arrangement — known as the household budgeting scheme — is available to unemployed persons paid by means of the postdraft system at post offices. Arrangements are under way within my Department and with An Post to extend as a matter of priority the household budgeting scheme to lone parents later this year.