Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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94. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an up to date projected timeline for the establishment of the new housing assistance payment and the transfer of responsibility for same to local authorities; if estimations have been made on the amount of staff required to administer the new scheme; if his attention has been drawn to these figures; if pilot areas have been established and if he will provide details of the pilot schemes; if he will estimate the total cost of setting up the new system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33188/13]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a commitment as to when the transfer of responsibility for rent supplement to local authorities will be complete; and if he will provide an update on the work needed to achieve this. [33783/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 94 and 104 together.

In March 2012, the Government approved in principle the transfer of responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with an established housing need from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to local authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). My Department and the Department of Social Protection have been working closely on the legal, policy and operational issues involved in this project.

Work has also been on-going with the County and City Managers Association (CCMA), through the Project Steering Group, in overseeing plans for the implementation of HAP. In June a Project Implementation Team was initiated, which will be responsible for detailed planning and implementation during the testing and roll-out phases. The CCMA has identified Limerick as the lead authority to drive implementation in the local government sector. The other authorities involved in the test phase are:

- South Dublin County Council

- Louth County Council

- Kilkenny County Council

- Waterford City Council

- Cork County Council

- Monaghan County Council.

A detailed business process design for HAP is currently underway which involves input from all the relevant key stakeholders. Following the completion of the business process design the implementation team will, in conjunction with my Department, develop a plan for the test phase in the above local authorities. It is intended that the test phase of HAP would be carried out in early 2014, subject to the necessary housing and social welfare legislative provisions being in place, including in regard to facilitating deduction of rents at source from welfare payments. Government approval in these regards will be sought in the near future. Once the test phase is complete, the scheme will be extended to other local authorities.

In respect of the staff resources, the CCMA, through involvement in both the Project Steering Group and the Project Implementation Team, is providing on-going advice in relation to the resources that will be required by local authorities to implement HAP. This input will continue as the detail of the scheme is developed further this year.