Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 June 2021
323. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount provided by his Department to Tipperary Council in 2020 in respect of housing supports (details supplied). [29352/21]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At end Q1 2021, there were over 61,300 households in receipt of HAP and nearly 34,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.
In respect of the provision of HAP funding, Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional shared service on behalf of all 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.
Data in relation to the funding for HAP provided by the State in 2020, broken down by local authority area, can be found on my Department's website at this link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#housing-assistance-payment
This funding represents the portion paid by my Department after receipt of the differential rent which is paid by the tenant to the local authority. It does not include administration costs related to the Scheme.
The overall cost of supporting the HAP Scheme to the Exchequer for 2020 was €464.6 representing 59,821 active tenancies.
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.
The scheme is delivered by local authorities who source accommodation from the private market and Approved Housing Bodies. Expenditure under the scheme covers recoupment made to local authorities for contracted rents due to private landlords and Approved Housing Bodies, administration costs and a damages contingency fund for newly acquired accommodation.
Details for the number and cost to the exchequer of tenancies funded under the RAS scheme in County Tipperary in 2020, is available on my Department's website, titled ‘RAS Current Expenditure Housing Programmes 2011 to 2020’, at the following link: gov.ie - Overall social housing provision (www.gov.ie)
Funding for leasing projects is provided for under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). This Programme supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners and Approved Housing Bodies.
At end 2020, a total of 374 leased properties were supported under SHCEP across all leasing delivery programmes in Tipperary County Council. The total Leasing spend under SHCEP in 2020 was €2,547,845, of which €1,002,904 was spent on long-term leases secured by both Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
All data is based on local authority claims for operational agreements recorded on the Department's SHCEP financial management system. Any variations in data between operational figures and total output under leasing delivery streams may be due to the time lag in the submission of claims to my Department in respect of new claims after delivery.
The Leasing, RAS and HAP 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.
