Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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106. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he expects the transition from the current rent allowance system to the new housing assistance payments scheme which will be administered by local authorities to be completed and functioning; the way he will deal with the staffing requirements of administering the new system within local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25442/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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On 30 April 2014, Government approved the publication of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 which will, when enacted before the end of the summer session, provide the legislative framework for the introduction of HAP. My Department and the Department of Social Protection continue to work closely on the legal, policy and operational issues involved in developing and introducing HAP.

Following administrative and statutory pilot phases in 2014, involving 7 local authorities, and a review of both phases, roll out to the remaining local authorities is scheduled to begin on a phased basis in 2015. The review process for the pilot phase will also provide valuable input in terms of informing the on-going resource requirement for administering the scheme.

In respect of the staff resources, the business process design exercise for HAP which was completed in 2013 involved input from all the relevant key stakeholders. This process included a preliminary examination of the organisational structure that will be required for HAP, including any change management issues that may arise. In the context of that exercise the County and City Management Association (CCMA), as part of the wider local government reform agenda, is considering the delivery possibilities including the costs and resource requirements. The CCMA, in conjunction with the local authorities involved in the first phase of HAP, are providing on-going advice to my Department in that regard. Limerick City and County Council as lead authority has prepared a business case, under the direction of the HAP Project Board, for the delivery of HAP by local authorities and the business case will be taken into account by the CCMA in deciding how best to deliver HAP.