Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
334. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of Housing Assistance Payments that has been paid out to private landlords in County Cavan since the payment was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24012/21]
View answer335. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of rental accommodation scheme that has been paid out to private landlords in County Cavan since the payment was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24013/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support and the scheme is operated by local authorities. Under the HAP scheme, monthly payments are made directly to landlords on behalf of the HAP recipient in respect of rent, subject to the conditions of the scheme.
HAP is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies.
Limerick City and County Council provide a highly effective transactional shared service on behalf of all HAP local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Accordingly, my Department does not recoup individual local authorities in respect of HAP rental payments in their administrative areas but rather recoups all landlord costs via the HAP SSC.
A breakdown of the HAP exchequer spend for landlord payments, 2019 to 2020, broken down by local authority, is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
The following table details the exchequer cost of HAP landlord payments by year in respect of Co. Cavan:
|
Year |
Euro (€) |
|
2016 |
N/A |
|
2017 |
€192,334 |
|
2018 |
€645,964 |
|
2019 |
€1,037,931 |
|
2020 |
€1,311,686 |
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been an important contributor to social housing supply since its introduction on a pilot basis in 2005 and has placed responsibility on local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of people in receipt of Rent Supplement for 18 months or longer, and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need. RAS has provided a more structured, accommodation-based approach to the use of the private rented sector to meet long-term housing need, thereby eliminating dependence on temporary income support payments through Rent Supplement. The scheme is delivered by local authorities who source accommodation from the private market and Approved Housing Bodies.
While data for individual counties for the years prior to 2011 is not available, details for the period from 2011 to 2020 on the number and cost to the exchequer of tenancies funded under the RAS scheme in County Cavan, is available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision
The HAP and RAS schemes continue to be effective and secure forms of social housing support and remain a significant part of the suite of social housing options currently available across the country.
