Skip to main content
Normal View

Housing Assistance Payments Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Questions (681, 682)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

681. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if, in respect of the proposed housing assistance payment, an estimate of rental top-ups currently being paid has been factored into the calculations on the new payment arrangements that will be introduced; if he will further indicate that the staffing allocation in the pilot areas for the HAP scheme has been increased to allow for efficient administration, or will existing staff be expected to administer the scheme; the number of staff in the various local authorities expected to be assigned to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13363/14]

View answer

Catherine Murphy

Question:

682. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if, in respect of the proposed housing assistance payment, he is concerned that the new system is being fully tested if it is only being rolled out in local authorities with low staff to population ratios; if extra staff will be assigned to assist local authorities who are presently struggling to cover existing services with current staff compliment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13364/14]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 681 and 682 together.

I understand that ‘top up’ payments under the rent supplement scheme fall into two specific categories – those that are specifically approved by the Department of Social Protection where a person has additional income above the rate of supplementary welfare allowance which would allow additional rent payments to be made and still have sufficient income to meet their basic needs, and those that occur when ‘false declarations’ of rent supplement are made through the use of illegal top - ups. While the matter of both authorised and illegal top - ups in rent supplement have been discussed in the context of developing the business processes for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) my Department has not included an estimate of rental top-ups for the purposes of HAP in terms of what currently might be paid by tenants under the rent supplement scheme.

In respect of the staff resources, the business process design exercise for HAP which was completed in 2013 involved input from all the relevant key stakeholders. This process included a preliminary examination of the organisational structure that will be required for HAP, including any change management issues that may arise. In the context of that exercise the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA), as part of the wider local government reform agenda, is considering the delivery possibilities including the costs and resource requirements. The CCMA, in conjunction with the local authorities involved in the first phase of HAP, are providing on-going advice to my Department in relation to the resources that will be required by local authorities to implement HAP. Limerick City and County Council as lead authority has led on preparation of a business case, under the direction of the HAP Project Board, for the delivery of HAP by local authorities. The business case is at an advanced stage of drafting.

Question No. 683 answered with Question No. 679.
Top
Share