Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019
590. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing assistance payment recipients benefiting from discretionary payment increases, by county; the number of homeless housing assistance payment recipients benefiting from discretionary payments; the average increase per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15096/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned.
Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis.
The information requested in relation to number of HAP recipients benefiting from discretionary increases and the average level of discretion, by local authority, at the end of Quarter 4, 2018, is set out in the following table:
|
Local Authority |
Overall number of Tenancies |
Number of Tenancies availing of discretion |
Average level of discretion % |
|
Carlow County Council |
697 |
146 |
16.3% |
|
Cavan County Council |
273 |
31 |
20.0% |
|
Clare County Council |
1,325 |
420 |
18.8% |
|
Cork City Council |
2,024 |
909 |
15.1% |
|
Cork County Council |
3,265 |
434 |
17.3% |
|
Donegal County Council |
1,715 |
42 |
20.1% |
|
Dublin City Council |
2,345 |
818 |
13.7% |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
385 |
291 |
17.3% |
|
Fingal County Council |
1,304 |
697 |
14.3% |
|
Galway City Council |
1,340 |
775 |
15.4% |
|
Galway County Council |
967 |
174 |
15.4% |
|
Kerry County Council |
894 |
350 |
17.9% |
|
Kildare County Council |
1,870 |
816 |
14.2% |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
866 |
83 |
18.6% |
|
Laois County Council |
636 |
197 |
18.5% |
|
Leitrim County Council |
205 |
4 |
20.0% |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
2,168 |
141 |
17.9% |
|
Longford County Council |
283 |
68 |
17.5% |
|
Louth County Council |
2,643 |
414 |
17.1% |
|
Mayo County Council |
1,112 |
879 |
17.6% |
|
Meath County Council |
1,726 |
953 |
15.0% |
|
Monaghan County Council |
527 |
216 |
18.7% |
|
Offaly County Council |
841 |
139 |
17.1% |
|
Roscommon County Council |
348 |
54 |
17.8% |
|
Sligo County Council |
640 |
21 |
17.6% |
|
South Dublin County Council |
2,632 |
125 |
15.2% |
|
Tipperary County Council |
1,758 |
372 |
18.3% |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
1,821 |
291 |
18.1% |
|
Westmeath County Council |
652 |
131 |
16.4% |
|
Wexford County Council |
963 |
205 |
16.1% |
|
Wicklow County Council |
898 |
201 |
16.3% |
|
Total |
39,123 |
10,397 |
16.2% |
Additional discretion of up to 50% above rent limits is available to assist in housing homeless households in the Dublin Region. The additional discretion available to homeless households recognises the difficulty this cohort of households face in sourcing and securing properties in a highly competitive rental market.
The following table provides details on the use of discretion in the Dublin local authority areas including the DRHE tenancies:
|
Dublin Region Homeless Executive |
||||
|
Overall number of Tenancies |
Number of DRHE Tenancies |
Number in receipt of discretion |
Average Rate of discretion |
|
|
Dublin City Council |
5,028 |
2,683 |
3,501 |
31.7% |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
545 |
160 |
451 |
24.4% |
|
Fingal County Council |
1,759 |
455 |
1,152 |
23% |
|
South Dublin County Council |
3,175 |
543 |
668 |
33.7% |
At the end of Q4 2018, 33.1% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility. When the additional discretion available to homeless households in the Dublin region is removed, 26.6% of households nationally were benefiting from the additional flexibility. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 16.2% above rent limits provided. This increases to 21.8% when the Dublin region homeless area data is included.
I continue to keep the operation of HAP under review but I am currently satisfied with how the scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting current housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme set out in Rebuilding Ireland.
