25.— (1) The Principal Act is amended in section 198—

(a) in subsection (3), by substituting “subsections (3B), (3D) and (4)” for “subsection (4)”,

(b) by inserting the following after subsection (3):

“(3A) Notwithstanding section 191(1), the payment of a supplement towards the amount of rent payable by a person in respect of his or her residence may continue to be made where the person—

(a) engages in remunerative full-time employment and, during the 12 month period immediately before his or her engagement in remunerative full-time employment, the person was not regarded, for the purposes of this Chapter, as being engaged in remunerative full-time employment, or

(b) is participating in—

(i) a scheme known as the Area Allowance Enterprise Scheme, approved by a company known as an Area Partnership, in consultation with the Minister,

(ii) a scheme administered by An Foras Áiseanna Saothair and known as Community Employment, or

(iii) a scheme administered by the Minister and known as the Back to Work Allowance Scheme,

and the person has been accepted as being in need of accommodation under a scheme funded by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and known as the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

(3B) Subject to subsection (3C), a payment referred to in subsection (3) shall not be payable in respect of a person’s residence where his or her residence is situated in an area notified to the Minister by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government as being an area of regeneration for the purpose of providing for greater social integration.

(3C) Subject to the conditions and circumstances that may be prescribed, subsection (3B) shall not apply—

(a) to a person who is in receipt of rent supplement in respect of his or her residence immediately before the area in which his or her residence is situated is notified to the Minister as being an area of regeneration as referred to in subsection (3B),

(b) to a person who is living in an area notified to the Minister as being an area of regeneration as referred to in subsection (3B) and becomes entitled to a payment under subsection (3) where, on the making of an application for a supplement under subsection (3), the Executive is satisfied that the person—

(i) in so far as was reasonable in all the circumstances, had, at the commencement of the tenancy, an expectation that he or she would continue to be able to pay the amount of the rent, and

(ii) has experienced a substantial change in his or her circumstances such that he or she is unable to pay the amount of the rent.

(3D) The Executive may determine that a payment referred to in subsection (3) is not payable where a notification is received by the Executive from a housing authority (within the meaning of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992) regarding non-compliance with standards prescribed for the time being under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992.”.

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