Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. He is correct to say there are approximately 73,500 people in receipt of rent supplement, almost 49,000 of whom are in receipt of the supplement for over 18 months. The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short-term income support scheme. Under the new housing assistance payment, HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer to local authorities. HAP will provide a more integrated system of housing supports and has been designed to allow any householder that finds full-time employment to remain in the scheme. Rent supplement will continue to be paid to those already in the private rented sector who have a short-term need of rental support, often as a result of the loss of employment. HAP is being introduced on a phased basis. It was rolled out in County Cork, Limerick City and county and Waterford City and county in September last and was further extended to four other counties in October. To date, some 403 persons have been transferred to HAP following engagement between local Department staff and local authorities.

Officials in the Department continue to work closely with those in the local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to support the implementation of HAP and transfer of 8,000 cases to HAP during 2015.

The Department is represented at senior level on both the HAP oversight group and the HAP project board. In terms of facilitating HAP, significant work has been undertaken by the Department at both local and central level. In addition, the household budget scheme was amended in January 2014 to support further the collection of rents for local authorities in advance of HAP roll-out. The Department is also undertaking development of its computer systems to support the direct deduction of local authority rents from social welfare payments, which will apply to HAP and other local authority housing recipients.

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