In March 2012, the Government approved in principle the transfer of responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with an established housing need from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to local authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). On 18 July 2013, the Government approved the introduction of HAP and that the DSP would provide for the implementation of the mandatory direct deduction of rental contributions from the welfare payments of HAP recipients and local authority tenants. My Department and the DSP continue to work closely on the legal, policy and operational issues involved in developing and introducing HAP.
My Department is also working closely with the County and City Managers Association (CCMA) in overseeing plans for the implementation of HAP, but more specifically at this stage in relation to the test phase, which is planned for 2014, subject to the enactment of the relevant legislation. Consideration, where possible, will be given to what aspects of the scheme can be progressed under existing mechanisms prior to enactment of the required legislation. The CCMA has identified Limerick as the lead authority to drive implementation in the local government sector; the other authorities that have been identified for the test phase are:
South Dublin County Council
Louth County Council
Kilkenny County Council
Waterford City Council
Cork County Council
Monaghan County Council.
A detailed business process design exercise involving input from all the relevant key stakeholders has been completed for HAP. This process involved a preliminary examination of the organisational structure that will be required for HAP including change management issues that may arise and an outline of the main IT considerations which will need to be addressed. In the context of that exercise the CCMA, as part of the wider local government reform agenda, is considering delivery possibilities including costs and resource requirements.
