John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 259: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding tenants if their landlords do not want to become part of the rental accommodation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38423/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 261: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Question No. 96 of 28 June 2005, his progress in meeting the target of housing 5,000 households which are long-term recipients of the rent supplement by the end of 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38481/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 262: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department received €19 million from the Vote of the Department of Social and Family Affairs for a long-term accommodation initiative for rent supplement tenants; the amount of this transferred money that has been spent since his Department received it; the way in which the money was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38482/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 263: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of long-term rent supplement recipient households which have been housed to date in 2005 under the rent supplement initiative; the type of housing they received under this initiative; the breakdown of the number of households housed under each housing option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38483/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 261 to 263, inclusive, together.

Under the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, announced by the Government in July 2004, local authorities will progressively assume responsibility for accommodating supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, rent supplement recipients with a long-term housing need. The initial project to transfer existing rent supplement recipients of 18 months or more continuous duration is due to be completed by the end of 2008.

The RAS is a collaborative project between my Department, local authorities, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the community welfare service. Roll-out has 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 also implementing the RAS.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 677 of 25 October which outlined the main actions taken to date in implementing the scheme. Some 305 households have so far transferred to the RAS from the SWA rent supplement scheme. Some 300 households are accommodated by voluntary and co-operative housing associations with the remainder accommodated in the private rented sector. The first transfers occurred in the Galway City Council area and households have now transferred to the scheme in Westmeath, Offaly and Dublin city. It is expected that some 500 households will have transferred to the RAS by the end of the year.

Some €19 million was transferred to my Department's Vote for 2005 from that of the Department of Social and Family Affairs to provide for the mobilisation of the new rent supplement scheme. Some €600,000 has been spent to date by the implementing local authorities, including rent payments for transferred households, start-up costs and expenditure on the administrative arrangements to support implementation of the scheme.

Landlords are not obliged to participate in the scheme. Local authorities will seek to secure suitable alternative accommodation for eligible rent supplement recipients whose landlords do not wish to participate. In the meantime, eligible RAS households will continue in receipt of SWA rent supplement. Agreement between a local authority and a landlord also depends on the rent sought for the property, compliance with approved standards, registration of the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board and the landlord's tax affairs being in order.