Local Authority Housing Data

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Questions (705)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

705. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of HAP transfers to local authority and AHB housing by local authority for each year the scheme has been in operation in that local authority in tabular form. [50534/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government

Consistent with the provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is considered to be a social housing support and, consequently, households are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households who avail of HAP may still wish to continue to avail of the opportunity for a more traditional form of social housing support, Ministerial directions have issued to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list.

Furthermore, local authorities were also directed that HAP recipients who apply to go on the transfer list should get full credit for the time they spent on the waiting list and be placed on the transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the waiting list.

The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities. The setting of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and, as such, is a matter for the elected members.

Detail in relation to HAP transfers by local authority is set out in the following table:

Name of Local Authority	Grand Total
Carlow County Council	54
Cavan County Council	4
Clare County Council	151
Cork City Council	61
Cork County Council	199
Donegal County Council	187
Dublin City Council	43
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council	4
Fingal County Council	17
Galway City Council	18
Galway County Council	16
Kerry County Council	5
Kildare County Council	77
Kilkenny County Council	75
Laois County Council	25
Leitrim County Council	4
Limerick City & County Council	134
Longford County Council	4
Louth County Council	132
Mayo County Council	32
Meath County Council	122
Monaghan County Council	77
Offaly County Council	28
Roscommon County Council	8
Sligo County Council	37
South Dublin County Council	12
Tipperary County Council	112
Waterford City & Co Co	117
Westmeath County Council	1
Wexford County Council	6
Wicklow County Council	3
Grand Total	1,765

A breakdown of transfers by year has been requested from the Shared Service Centre and, if it can be provided, it will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

HAP was rolled out in 4 waves between September 2014 and March 2017 - the nationwide roll-out of the scheme was completed with its introduction, on 1 March 2017, to the administrative areas of Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of the scheme and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A

I refer to the reply to Question No.705 of 4 December 2018, in which I undertook to forward detailed information in relation to the breakdown, by year, of HAP transfers.

It is important to note that, as previously stated, the practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities. The setting of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and, as such, is a matter for the elected members.

The number of HAP transfers to local authority and AHB housing by local authority for each year the scheme has been in operation in that local authority is set out below.

Local Authority	2014/5	2016	2017	Q3-2018	Total
Carlow County Council	0	6	30	18	54
Cavan County Council	0	0	1	3	4
Clare County Council	0	16	75	60	151
Cork City Council	0	11	34	16	61
Cork County Council	7	21	77	94	199
Donegal County Council	0	19	80	88	187
Dublin City Council	0	0	4	39	43
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council	0	0	0	4	4
Fingal County Council	0	1	2	14	17
Galway City Council	0	0	13	5	18
Galway County Council	0	1	8	7	16
Kerry County Council	0	0	0	5	5
Kildare County Council	0	1	26	50	77
Kilkenny County Council	11	9	26	29	75
Laois County Council	0	0	1	24	25
Leitrim County Council	0	0	1	3	4
Limerick City & County Council	6	26	44	58	134
Longford County Council	0	0	2	2	4
Louth County Council	1	11	51	69	132
Mayo County Council	0	1	15	16	32
Meath County Council	0	3	28	91	122
Monaghan County Council	4	8	36	29	77
Offaly County Council	0	2	7	19	28
Roscommon County Council	0	0	1	7	8
Sligo County Council	0	1	11	25	37
South Dublin County Council	0	0	2	10	12
Tipperary County Council	0	11	43	58	112
Waterford City & County Council	3	29	39	46	117
Westmeath County Council	0	0	0	1	1
Wexford County Council	0	0	0	6	6
Wicklow County Council	0	0	1	2	3
Grand Total	32	177	658	898	1,765