Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is undertaking an update on the uptake of the rental accommodation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18700/08]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the external evaluation of the rental accommodation scheme will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18699/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 454 together.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is at the mid-point in its initial implementation period and is operational in all housing authorities, with, in some cases, the County Council managing the scheme for the county at large. All housing authorities have transferred cases from Rent Supplement to RAS and, since the commencement of transfers in September 2005, the pace of delivery has increased. Some 13,000 households with long-term housing need have been accommodated to date in either voluntary, private rental properties or other social housing options. €51 million is being provided to local authorities for RAS for the current year and the aim is that a total of at least 15,000 cases will have been accommodated through the scheme by the end of 2008.

The experience to date suggests that the response to meeting the needs of households on rent supplement with a long term housing need in some areas will be mainly through the existing local authority and voluntary/co-operative housing programmes. In other areas, particularly in larger urban areas, RAS will play a substantial role in meeting housing need. Over the longer-term the use of leased accommodation will become an integral part of the approach of local authorities to meeting social housing need. Ultimately this is a matter for local authorities to decide taking into account demographic factors, the available supply of different types of social housing, the level of long-term housing need in the area, market conditions and the individual aspirations of households.

As indicated, the Rental Accommodation Scheme is midway through its implementation period and my Department is currently carrying out a Value for Money and Policy Review of the scheme to date. A report of the review is currently at an advanced stage of drafting. A specific aim of the review is to evaluate the operation of RAS in the light of the objectives set for it, including the financial arrangements under which the scheme operates. A further review is planned for the scheme, at the end of the implementation period.