Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the total number of housing units in the rental accommodation scheme as of 1 September 2012; if he will further provide a breakdown of those total units by local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38208/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Data on the number of households whose housing need is met under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) change constantly as new households in receipt of rent supplement transfer under the Scheme, and existing RAS households leave the Scheme. Information is collected by my Department on a monthly basis in relation to the number of households transferring from rent supplement under the various social housing options. Data on households leaving RAS, either through transfers to other forms of social housing support or through leaving the area etc, have been collected annually since 2008.

The latest date for which figures on transfers from rent supplement are available is 31 July 2012. To end July housing authorities had transferred a total of 40,821 households from rent supplement. Of these, 23,900 were housed directly under RAS and a further 16,921 were accommodated in other forms of social housing support. The number of households leaving RAS, including those going to other forms of social housing, to end 2011 was 2,994. The following table sets out the details on a county basis combining the transfer figure with the numbers that have left RAS.

Note: The net figure of 20,906 which represents the number of households in RAS is an estimate as figures for those leaving RAS in 2012 are not yet available.