Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
418. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households that have requested flexibility to breech HAP rental limits; the number of these households to which flexibility has been approved to breech HAP rental limits for the local authority area of County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54923/23]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2023, over 112,900 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were over 58,200 households actively in receipt of HAP support.
Since July 2022 each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single persons households. Discretion can be increased up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits for Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the discretion is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of discretion applied in each case.
From available data, at the end of Q2 2023, 63.9% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility, at an average rate of discretion of 26.5% above the relevant limit. There were 1,741 active tenancies in Donegal County Council at end Q2 2023. Of these tenancies, approximately 30% were benefiting from additional flexibility at an average rate of 25.1% above the relevant limit.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis.
