Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2022
521. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of times the discretionary top-up for housing assistance payments was used in 2021 in County Kildare by municipal district; the average percentage amount of this top-up per municipal district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29956/22]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of 2021, over 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 61,900 households actively in receipt of HAP support, including more than 2,300 households in Kildare. Local authorities have discretion, because of local rental market conditions, to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, or up to 50% in the Dublin region for those households either in, or at immediate risk of homelessness. It is a matter for each local authority to determine whether the application of a discretionary increase is warranted, and the level of such an increase, on a case-by-case basis.
A breakdown of the number of HAP tenancies at end 2021 and the average discretionary increase paid for each of the municipal districts in Kildare is detailed in the table below.
|
Municipal Area |
Active Tenancies @ end Q4 2021 |
No. of tenancies that received discretion |
Average Discretion Rate |
|
Athy |
509 |
165 |
15% |
|
Celbridge - Leixlip |
244 |
203 |
17% |
|
Kildare - Newbridge |
697 |
383 |
13% |
|
Maynooth |
315 |
213 |
16% |
|
Naas |
434 |
276 |
16% |
|
Other MAs outside LA* |
102 |
68 |
18% |
*Inter-authority movements, whilst the tenant is registered with Kildare County Council, the tenancy is located outside of the county.
I am working with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to provide for an increase in the HAP discretion rate to 35% and for new tenancies, to expand the couple’s rate to single persons. This will secure and expand more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness.
I am committed to decreasing our reliance on subsidies and we will only do that through significantly scaling up our social housing supply. ‘Housing for all’ sets us on a pathway to delivering 90,000 social homes between now and the end of 2030 including 9,000 this year in 2022.
