Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2017
703. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of RAS tenancies active at the end of each year from 2005 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and the annual cost of RAS tenancies for each year. [50157/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been an important contributor to social housing supply since its introduction on a pilot basis in 2005. From its commencement in late 2005 to 31 September 2017, some 34,282 households have been transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS.
The number of households in RAS constantly varies as contracts end, tenants move on to other properties, landlords withdraw from the scheme, new tenancies are allocated or vacancies in contracted units are filled. While data from 2005 to 2010 is not readily available, data relating to the number of households availing of support under RAS from 2011 to 2016 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Data relating to the cost of supporting RAS tenancies from 2011 to 2016 can also be found on my Department's website at the above link. €134.3 million was provided in Budget 2017 to support the cost of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). Monies are provided on an Exchequer neutral basis to meet the costs of persons transferring from the Rent Supplement (RS) Scheme to RAS.
