Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 May 2023
380. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 807 of 18 April 2023, if rent supplement will be considered a housing support for the tenant purchase scheme for the period prior to the introduction of the housing assistance payment in 2014, given HAP was not available at the time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21845/23]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants (including joint tenants) of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme.
Applicants must meet certain criteria to qualify for the scheme, including a minimum 10 years in receipt of social housing supports. Such supports include the Housing Assistance Payment, and also the Rental Accommodation Scheme which operated prior to 2014.
Rent supplement is not a social housing support. It is a short-term income support for people living in private rented accommodation who cannot provide for the cost of their accommodation from their own resources. Accordingly, time spent in receipt of rent supplement does not count towards the time spent in receipt of social housing and is not reckonable for the purposes of meeting the 10-year criterion.
