Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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643. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the roll out of the housing assistance payment scheme as announced in July 2013; the time frame for when this scheme will be rolled out; if he will provide any other relevant details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12892/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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On 18 July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Approval was also given for the provision of funding to the local authorities to cover the cost of accommodating HAP recipients, and it was agreed that the Department of Social Protection (DSP) would provide for the implementation of the mandatory direct deduction of rental contributions from the welfare payments of HAP recipients and local authority tenants. My Department and DSP continue to work closely on the legal, policy and operational issues involved in developing and introducing HAP. On 17 December 2013 the General Scheme of a Housing Bill providing for HAP was approved by Government and the Bill is in preparation, as a priority for enactment to facilitate the implementation of HAP in 2014.

My Department is working closely with key stakeholders in overseeing plans for the implementation of HAP, but more specifically at this stage in relation to the lead authority, Limerick City and County Council, initiating a pilot project by end of Quarter 1 2014. Subject to the required legislation being in place the full HAP scheme will then roll out to the other 6 local authorities (Cork, South Dublin, Monaghan, Kilkenny, Louth and Waterford) identified for participation in the first phase of HAP.

Roll out to the remaining local authorities is scheduled to begin in 2015. During implementation, it is envisaged that authorities will initially focus on taking across new applicants, before moving on a progressive basis to dealing with those already in receipt of rent supplement. It is intended that the pilot and implementation phases will prioritise, as much as possible, the transfer to HAP of long-term unemployed rent supplement recipients, or those who are homeless or in danger of homelessness. This is a reasonable approach to implementation, which will allow any issues that arise to be dealt with in a graduated way and give local authorities sufficient time to scale up the operation of HAP.