Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I will be taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. Under this procedure, a household may apply for support to one housing authority only. This may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection. It can also be in another housing authority area if that authority agrees, at its discretion, to assess the household for support. The HAP is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP.

Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. At the end of quarter 2 of this year, more than 112,900 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced. Of these, 58,234 households were actively in receipt of HAP support.

The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged when the scheme was launched. With this in mind, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage issued circulars relating to inter-authority movement in 2017 and 2019, with the aim of facilitating movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a tenant wishes to access rented accommodation with HAP support in another local authority area. Inter-authority movement is, however, subject to certain conditions, such as the relevant social housing income eligibility bands and confirmation that the applicant's income is below the threshold in the new local authority area. HAP tenants who avail of inter-authority movement continue to be dealt with by their original local authorities. However, the rent limits applicable are those that apply in the local authority area where the property is situated. The original local authority will engage with the relevant new local authority to facilitate eligible requests for inter-authority movement.

HAP tenants who avail of inter-authority movement can be offered access to the housing transfer list of the original local authority. The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own schemes for letting priorities. The making of such schemes is a reserved function of local authorities and, as such, is a matter for the elected members.

This goes back to the nub of the question the Deputy asked regarding the passport. Many local authorities are very good at being flexible, but where there is demand, there is no doubt that there are issues. I can speak from experience of what happens in Galway, where we would be dealing with Tipperary or Offaly and people who want to move but have bedded down and have roots and families now. That is where flexibility needs to be exercised and consideration given.

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