Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that are currently in receipt of rent allowance; the number of persons that have been transferred from rent allowance to housing assistance payment under the pilot project which is currently being carried out in Limerick city; when she envisaged that HAP will be extended nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39807/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. There are currently almost 49,000 persons in receipt of the scheme for periods over 18 months. Under the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer to local authorities. HAP is being introduced to provide a more integrated system of housing supports and has been designed to allow any households that find full-time employment to remain in the scheme. HAP was introduced on a pilot basis in Limerick City and County Council in April 2014 and to date some 130 households in Limerick have transferred to this new scheme. HAP has since been recently extended to Cork County Council, Waterford City and County Council, South Dublin County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Monaghan County Council and Louth County Council. Department of Social Protection officials are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to support the implementation of HAP within the selected local authorities and to support further roll out during 2015.