Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 16 and 43 together.

Each housing authority determines the rents for its own area having regard to a range of considerations which reflect tenants' ability to pay. While there are no up-to-date figures on the national average rent, it is estimated, based on past figures, that the average differential rent per local authority tenant is of the order of €55 per week.

There are almost 16,000 tenants of private landlords in receipt of social housing support. Allowing for transitional arrangements in some authorities, the rental contributions charged under the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and the social housing leasing initiative are based on the differential rents for the area. On the basis that the distribution of households for RAS and leasing is the same as that for social housing generally, the annual contribution of tenants towards the rent would be around €45 million. With regard to tenants under the rent supplement scheme, without a full breakdown of the location, household composition and income status of households, it is not possible to determine how much rental income would accrue to housing authorities were such households to transfer to social housing.

An analysis of the levels of contribution across the different rental assistance schemes is part of the work being undertaken by the Housing Finance Agency in advancing Government policy in regard to the transfer of responsibility for assisting recipients of rent supplement from the Department of Social Protection to housing authorities.

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