Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
2262. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons are reluctant to sign up for the housing assistance payment scheme in fear they will be taken off the local authority housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28961/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith the commencement of the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is considered to be a social housing support and consequently, households in receipt of HAP are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list.
Acknowledging that households on the waiting list who avail of HAP might have expectations that they would receive an allocated form of social housing support, Ministerial Directions issued during the pilot phase of the scheme to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP tenants could avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list. With the completion of the HAP roll-out and the ending of the scheme’s pilot phase on 1 March 2017, a further Ministerial Direction was issued, instructing local authorities to continue to offer HAP tenants access to other forms of social housing through the transfer list. This refreshed Direction ensures that HAP tenants still get all the benefits of HAP and are no less likely to get a different form of social housing support.
The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their scheme of letting priorities. The setting of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such, is a matter for the elected members. I understand that the majority of HAP households do avail of the option to be placed on a transfer list. Since its statutory commencement in September 2014, some 356 households (at the end of Q1 2017) had transferred from the HAP scheme to other forms of social housing support.
The information on the dedicated HAP website, www.hap.ie, reflects the legislation and states that any HAP tenant who wants to access other social housing supports may do so through the transfer system as operated by their respective local authority.
