I propose to take Questions Nos. 610 to 612, inclusive, together.
Rent supplement continues its vital role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting approximately 18,600 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019.
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 Housing Assistance Payment (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 HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme between 2016 and 2021.
Since the introduction of HAP on the 29th June 2015 for the County, rent supplement recipients have fallen from some 1,900 to approximately 60 (sixty), as at end of August 2019. The identification of recipients for the County with long term social housing needs for transfer to HAP remains a key goal for the Department.
Rent supplement recipient statistics for the County from 2000 to 2017 are provided in the attached tabular statement; the tabular statement also includes recipient numbers for the year 2018 and end August 2019. Recipient statistics are not maintained on a 'municipal district level': expenditure statistics by county / municipal district are also not recorded.
Table: Rent Supplement Recipients for County Clare 2000 to End August
Year
|
No. of Recipients
|
2000
|
928*
|
2001
|
979
|
2002
|
1,175
|
2003
|
1,228
|
2004
|
1,207
|
2005
|
1,233
|
2006
|
1,120
|
2007
|
1,144
|
2008
|
1,441
|
2009
|
1,780
|
2010
|
1,937
|
2011
|
1,961
|
2012
|
1,722
|
2013
|
1,547
|
2014
|
1,336
|
2015
|
1,024
|
2016
|
423
|
2017
|
177
|
2018
|
114
|
2019 (End of August)
|
63
|
* Recipients for 2000 'by County' were not maintained, previous statistical summaries were based on Health Board Regions, the 2000 figure supplied is an estimate for the County based on trends for the County's overall share of rent supplement recipients at that time.