Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 June 2019
762. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if rent increases for existing HAP tenants are allowed to exceed the HAP limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26688/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra763. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons at the maximum rate of the HAP limits in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26689/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 762 and 763 together.
Under 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.
Information in relation to number of HAP recipients benefitting from discretionary increases and the average level of discretion, as well as average landlord payment by local authority, at the end of Quarter 1 2019, is set out in the following table:
|
Local Authority |
Total No |
No of tenancies not requiring Discretion |
No. of Tenancies availing of discretion |
Average level of discretion % |
Average landlord Payment By LA |
|
Carlow County Council |
691 |
524 |
167 |
16.6% |
554 |
|
Cavan County Council |
297 |
252 |
45 |
20.0 |
455 |
|
Clare County Council |
1,320 |
847 |
473 |
19.0 |
465 |
|
Cork City Council |
2,123 |
1,149 |
974 |
15.4 |
774 |
|
Cork County Council |
3,379 |
2,901 |
478 |
17.3 |
737 |
|
Donegal County Council |
1,712 |
1,665 |
47 |
19.4 |
394 |
|
Dublin City Council |
2,642 |
1,685 |
957 |
13.7 |
1,292 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council |
444 |
92 |
352 |
17.4 |
1,359 |
|
Fingal County Council |
1,434 |
635 |
799 |
14.3 |
1,340 |
|
Galway City Council |
1,448 |
571 |
877 |
15.5 |
807 |
|
Galway County Council |
1,041 |
817 |
224 |
15.9 |
711 |
|
Kerry County Council |
984 |
570 |
414 |
18.1 |
516 |
|
Kildare County Council |
1,996 |
1,110 |
886 |
14.4 |
921 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
861 |
762 |
99 |
18.8 |
578 |
|
Laois County Council |
701 |
450 |
251 |
18.6 |
581 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
219 |
213 |
6 |
20 |
414 |
|
Limerick City and Co Co |
2,201 |
2,008 |
193 |
17.8 |
584 |
|
Longford County Council |
295 |
224 |
71 |
17.4 |
408 |
|
Louth County Council |
2,769 |
2,286 |
483 |
17.2 |
846 |
|
Mayo County Council |
1,147 |
224 |
923 |
17.7 |
506 |
|
Meath County Council |
1,792 |
735 |
1,057 |
15.3 |
937 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
545 |
279 |
266 |
18.6 |
490 |
|
Offaly County Council |
854 |
677 |
177 |
17.3 |
515 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
367 |
300 |
67 |
17.8 |
457 |
|
Sligo County Council |
671 |
642 |
29 |
16.8 |
506 |
|
South Dublin Co Council |
2,690 |
2,526 |
164 |
14.9 |
1,230 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
1,764 |
1,371 |
393 |
18.4 |
492 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
1,818 |
1,486 |
332 |
18.2 |
513 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
701 |
541 |
160 |
16.6 |
559 |
|
Wexford County Council |
1,069 |
802 |
267 |
16.3 |
527 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
1,011 |
777 |
234 |
16.3 |
1,005 |
|
Total |
40,986 |
29,121 |
11,865 |
16.3 |
817 Average |
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 table below provides details on the use of discretion in the Dublin local authority areas, including the Dublin Region Homeless Executive:
|
Overall No. of Tenancies |
No. of DRHE Tenancies |
Number in receipt of discretion |
Average rate of discretion % |
|
|
Dublin City Council |
5,536 |
2,894 |
3,851 |
32.3 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
645 |
201 |
533 |
25.7 |
|
Fingal County Council |
1,962 |
528 |
1,327 |
23.7 |
|
South Dublin Co Council |
3,358 |
668 |
832 |
34.5 |
At the end of Q1 2019, 35.7% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefitting from the additional flexibility. When the additional discretion available to homeless households in the Dublin region is removed, 28.9% of households nationally were benefitting from the additional flexibility. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 16.3% above rent limits provided. This increases to 22.2% 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.
