Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2018
293. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of rent allowance both nationally and specifically for the Dublin area on 31 December in each of the years 2012 to 2017; the related reductions in expenditure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7935/18]
View answerRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting some 33,400 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for 2018. Details of the total rent supplement recipients and associated outturn under the scheme are provided in the tabular statement. Recipient numbers for Dublin are also provided but costs associated at a county level are not maintained.
HAP has been the main driver in rent supplement’s base decline since its introduction in 2014 with over 33,000 active HAP active tenancy arrangements now in place. The targeted transfer of those with long term housing needs from rent supplement to HAP is in line the strategic initiative of returning rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a short term income support.
Other factors which have assisted in the decline of recipients include the continuing improvement in the economy and on-going transfer to other housing solutions including RAS.
I trust this clarifies the position.
Tabular Statement: Rent Supplement - Recipient Numbers & Expenditure (Years 2012 to 2017)
|
Year |
Total Recipients |
Total Expenditure€000 |
Dublin Recipients |
|
2012 |
87,684 |
422,536 |
32,584 |
|
2013 |
79,788 |
372,909 |
29,541 |
|
2014 |
71,533 |
338,208 |
26,453 |
|
2015 |
61,247 |
311,059 |
23,758 |
|
2016 |
48,041 |
275,294 |
20,561 |
|
2017 |
34,378 |
231,221[1] |
16,309 |
[1] Provisional
