Housing Assistance Payment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020

Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Questions (310)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

310. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to amend the housing assistance payment legislation in order that HAP is transformed into a short-term housing support as opposed to under the current legislation in which a recipient's social housing needs being deemed as met. [16999/20]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government

The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments in terms of HAP, namely to:

- ensure that Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing, and,

- reduce our reliance on the use of HAP for new social housing solutions, as the supply of social and public housing increases.

I will consider the current operation of HAP, in the broader context of social housing delivery, to ensure that these commitments are met.