Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid in respect of children under 16 years of age who have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

The child in question in this case reached 16 years of age in October 2009 and accordingly received their last payment of Domiciliary Care Allowance in that month.

In cases where the Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases due to the child in question reaching their sixteenth birthday, the child is invited to apply for Disability Allowance. An application for Disability Allowance has been issued in this case.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason persons (details supplied) in County Kildare had an application for a rent subsidy payment refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46466/09]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason an application for a rent subsidy payment was refused in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46473/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 154 together.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive, on behalf of the Department.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

Similarly, mortgage interest supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned made an application for mortgage interest supplement last week. The Executive advised that they are currently processing the application for mortgage interest supplement and a decision is expected shortly. The Executive further advised that the person concerned did not make an application for rent supplement but did make enquiries regarding rent supplement if they were to relinquish possession of their residence to their lender.