Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2012
298. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if an assessment of staffing needs will be done in advance of the local authorities assuming responsibility for the housing assistance scheme; if such an assessment will be factored in advance of any redundancy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55358/12]
View answer315. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the transfer of long term rent supplements recipients and the payments associated therewith to local authorities and if the process of allowing rents to be deducted at source and paid over to local authorities has been examined and progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55658/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 315 together.
I refer to the reply to Question No. 108 of 4 December 2012. The County and City Managers Association (CCMA), who are represented on the project Steering Group, provide ongoing advice in relation to the resources required by housing authorities to implement the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). This input will continue as the detail of the scheme is developed in 2013.
It is intended that the scheme will be piloted by a number of housing authorities in the second half of 2013, subject to the necessary housing and social welfare legislative provisions being in place including in regard to facilitating deduction of rents at source from welfare payments . After the pilot phase is complete, the scheme will be implemented generally, commencing in 2014.
