Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 677: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to provide housing for persons living in private rented accommodation and in receipt of rent supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30631/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, announced by the Government in July 2004, local authorities will, over a four-year period, progressively assume responsibility for accommodating supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, rent supplement recipients of 18 months or more continuous duration with a long-term housing need.

The RAS is a collaborative project between my Department, local authorities, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the community welfare service. All local authorities are due to implement the new arrangements during 2005. Roll-out commenced in an initial group of lead authorities, namely, Dublin, Galway and Limerick City Councils, South Dublin, Donegal, Offaly-Westmeath County Councils and Drogheda Borough Council. Cork City and County Councils and South Tipperary County Council are now implementing the RAS.

The main actions to date have been to put in place the structures necessary to commence the project, identify and resolve issues arising and to engage resources needed to support implementation.

Work is ongoing in the lead authorities towards identifying persons on rent supplement in need of long-term housing support. Starting with persons who have been in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more, community welfare officers in Health Service Executive areas are continuing to review cases which, subject to meeting eligibility criteria, are in the process of being transferred to the relevant housing authority for the purposes of establishing long-term housing need.

Where a long-term housing need is identified by the local authority, it will set about sourcing suitable accommodation for the household under the rental accommodation scheme as quickly as possible. The first 31 households transferred to the RAS in September 2005 and the pilot local authorities are currently negotiating with accommodation providers in their areas. Pilot projects to secure long-term contracts for the supply of rented accommodation are also being advanced.

The RAS is an additional housing option and eligible persons can indicate their preference to be accommodated by local authorities under the RAS or social housing, or to be considered under both.