Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent on the rental accommodation scheme in 2008 and to date in 2009; the number of persons who availed of the rental accommodation scheme in 2008 and to date in 2009; the number of persons who have applied for the scheme in 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42853/09]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason there is a continuing delay in transferring persons from rent supplement to the rental accommodation scheme. [40724/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together.

The number of households transferring from Rent Supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has increased year on year since RAS commenced in 2005. At the end of October 2009, a total of 23,469 households had been accommodated under the scheme. This included 6,915 households in 2008, some 38% ahead of the 5,000 target set, and 5,458 households in the first 10 months of 2009, which provides a solid basis for the achievement of this year's target of 7,000 transfers by year-end.

In terms of financial resources, some €53 million was devoted to the scheme in 2008. This year, funding of €90.5 million has been provided, some €76.2 million of which had been expended to the end of October.

While information on the number of persons who have applied for RAS is not held by my Department, it should be noted that the main qualifying criterion for the scheme is that a person should be in receipt of rent supplement for a period of 18 months or more. From information in relation to the operation of the rent supplement scheme, which is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, I understand that at end September 2009, 33,359 rent supplement supported households, nationally, met the 18 month criterion.

While this is broadly comparable to the approximately 32,000 households in the "18 month plus" category when the scheme became operational in 2005, this masks very considerable progress made in the intervening period. A comparative analysis of the "18 month plus" cases in 2005 and 2008 shows that a large proportion of the original RAS cohort have in fact been dealt with but, in overall numerical terms, they have been replaced by a broadly equivalent number of new "18 month plus" households. Looked at another way, if the RAS scheme was not in place, the number of households in receipt of rent supplement would be some 23,500 higher than is currently the case.

In addition, to the progress made in relation to transfers, the RAS has also been successful in delivering value for money. One of the main objectives for RAS, other than to provide greater security to tenants, was to improve the standards of accommodation. To date, of the 12,611 households who have been accommodated in private or voluntary housing under RAS, over a third have been housed in newly sourced accommodation (i.e. accommodation not in existing use for rent supplement purposes), which is generally of a higher standard and more suitable than the accommodation occupied by the households concerned while in receipt of rent supplement.

On the whole, I am satisfied that the Rental Accommodation Scheme continues to meet its objectives. On the basis of progress already made, I am confident that by end 2009, some 25,000 households will have been accommodated through the scheme since its inception.