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Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 November 2018

Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Ceisteanna (169)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

169. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on rent supplement in 2017; and the projected amount for 2018 and 2019, respectively. [46060/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 25,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €179.50 million in 2018.

The outturn figure for 2017, with projected costs for 2018 and 2019, are provided in the following table. The 2018 forecast outturn figure remains in line with actual outturn trends to date for the year. The 2019 figure, similar to 2018’s forecast, is predicated on current trends associated with Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) and the underpinning macroeconomic conditions prevailing throughout next year.

The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a short-term income support, has been primarily facilitated by the introduction of the HAP. The “Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness (July 2016), reiterated in the “Housing First National Implementation Plan 2018-2021” (September 2018), is to provide 87,000 flexible housing supports through the HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme between 2016 and 2021. Part of this commitment will be the transfer of those out of rent supplement with long term housing needs to HAP with a targeted completion date of these transfers by the end of 2020. For 2019, HAP’s transfer activity is expected to yield a closing rent supplement base of approximately 15,000 rent supplement customers at year end.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement:

Rent Supplement Outturn: 2017 Actual Costs with 2018 & 2019 Forecasts

Year

Total Expenditure€000

2017

231,221

2018

179,500

2019

132,300

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