Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the future of rent supplement; the total spending on rent supplement per annum on a county basis from 2007 to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20763/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 77,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short term income support. In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Officials in the Department are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, in piloting HAP in Limerick City and County Council with further roll out to selected local authorities during the year.

Detail of the total spending on rent supplement per annum from 2007 to 2014 is set out in the table. Expenditure on the rent supplement scheme on a county basis is not available.

Tabular Statement of Supplement Expenditure: 2007 to 2014