Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The housing assistance payment has been rolled out to all categories of household in 13 local authority areas, including County Donegal. There are now over 2,600 households nationally in receipt of the payment. The payment has been operational in the administrative area of Donegal County Council since 25 May. In the seven weeks since it has been introduced over 40 households have been accommodated under the scheme in County Donegal. I am pleased with this progress and would like to commend the local authority for its engagement with the scheme to date. Of the six local authorities that have been added, Donegal County Council has performed the best by far, for which the local authority deserves to be commended.

The maximum rent limits for the different household classes that apply in each local authority where the housing assistance payment has been commenced are set out in regulations and are currently based on the rent supplement limits as set out by the Department of Social Protection. In prescribing these limits household size and prevailing rents in the relevant areas are taken into consideration. In the context of implementation of the housing assistance payment, my Department works closely with the Department of Social Protection and monitors data gathered by housing assistance payment pilot authorities for the rent limits applying and difficulties that may arise. The operation of the housing assistance payment by Donegal County Council will be kept under active review in this context.

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