asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a person (details supplied) in County Dublin is living in substandard conditions at a rent of £38.33 per week of which his Department pay £31.86 and the action, if any, he intends to take to ensure that the tenant and his Department receive proper value for the large rental being charged.

The person concerned is in receipt of a rent allowance from my Department under the scheme of allowances for tenants of dwellings previously controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts. The rent in this case was fixed by the District Court which in doing so was obliged to have regard to the nature, character and location of the building.

Once the rent has been determined in this way the only function which I can carry out in the matter is to pay a rent allowance, calculated in accordance with statutory regulations having regard to the amount of the rent fixed by the court and the tenant's means.

Is the Minister concerned at the amount of money his Department are obliged to pay which, I understand, is as high as £50 in one case? Do the Government intend to review legislation in this area?

Under this scheme the only function of the Department of Social Welfare is to pay the rent allowance, calculated in accordance with statutory regulations, having regard to the means of the tenant and the amount of rent fixed by the court. It is a matter for the court, the tenant and those representing the tenants' interests to make a case regarding the nature and character of the building and the adequacy or otherwise of that building as a dwelling. This does not come within the ambit of the Department of Social Welfare.

The Minister must be concerned at the amount of money paid out by the Department of Social Welfare. As Deputy Andrews pointed out in the question, in this case the person is living in substandard conditions and the Department are paying £31.86 per week. Do the Government intend to review legislation in this regard? The Minister said that these people can lay evidence before the courts but are there facilities available to elderly people, especially those who have never been in court and have no income, to lay their evidence before a judge?

It is difficult to answer the Deputy's question because the Department of Social Welfare are only responsible for the rent allowance. The difficulties mentioned by the Deputy should come within the ambit of legislation concerning some other Department. The Department of Social Welfare have a very limited function in this regard.

What about collective responsibility in Government?

Would the Minister agree that his Department have responsibility because they are the Department issuing the subsidy which is going to the landlords? It is the duty of the Government to ensure that the landlords are complying with the conditions laid down by the court in providing suitable accommodation for the market rents which the courts grant them.

As I explained, the Department of Social Welfare are only responsible for the rent allowance. It is the function of other bodies to see that the matters referred to by the Deputy are taken into account and given consideration because these rents are fixed by the District Court and we have not had evidence from all the people concerned.

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