Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1453. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the aggregate annual costs and cost per household from 2008 to 2013 to the Exchequer of accommodating households on the housing waiting list in private rental accommodation through the rental accommodation scheme; and the average net annual cost per household to the State for those accommodated in local authority housing over the same period. [33043/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a targeted scheme catering for the accommodation needs of persons in receipt of Rent Supplement from the Department of Social Protection, generally for more than 18 months, and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need.

From its inception in 2004 up to the end of June 2014 expenditure totalling some €707.1million has been incurred under the scheme, while some 49,788 households with a long-term housing need have been transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS and other social housing solutions.

Transfers from rent supplement are made up of private transfers (that is private rented accommodation provided by private landlords), transfers to voluntary housing and transfers to local authority housing.

The following table sets out the total annual expenditure, the total numbers transferred from Rent Supplement between 2008 and end June 2014, and the number of those who transferred to Private Rented Accommodation.