Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The rental accommodation scheme, RAS, is a social housing scheme which has two key objectives, namely, the elimination of dependence on rent supplement by persons assessed as being qualified for and in need of social housing support, and the enhancement of the position of local authorities to respond to social housing need. As such, RAS is a social housing support targeted at those already in receipt of rent supplement and I have no plans to change that.

The Government's social housing strategy recognises that the rental accommodation scheme continues to be a successful programme which has achieved considerable output levels to date and delivered quality housing to a large number of households. Over the lifetime of the strategy, an additional 6,000 households are targeted to transfer from rent supplement to RAS.

As noted by the Deputy, the housing assistance payment, HAP, will, over time, provide for the transfer of responsibility for rent supplement recipients with a long-term housing need from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Similar to the rental accommodation scheme, the housing assistance payment will facilitate the removal of a potential barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment.

The HAP scheme is being rolled out incrementally and is currently operational in 18 local authority areas. Some 1,940 of more than 5,400 households accommodated through HAP were in receipt of rent supplement when they transferred to the scheme. I am committed to the continued roll-out of HAP and to increasing the number of transfers from rent supplement in 2016. In that regard, I expect some 10,000 additional households, including rent supplement transfers, to be accommodated through HAP next year. In the meantime, until such time as HAP becomes operational in the remaining local authority areas, rent supplement will continue to be available to those households requiring support in meeting their housing needs in the rental market.

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