Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

44. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of her Department's budget in 2015, 2016 and 2017 that it is planned to move to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in respect of the housing assistance payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17337/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need will transfer from this Department to housing authorities. The Government has provided over €298 million for rent supplement in 2015 which reflects a transfer of funding in excess of €20 million to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to support HAP.

HAP is currently being rolled out in seven local authority areas in which there are over 1,600 HAP tenancies in place. There is a target to achieve 8,400 HAP cases in 2015 as set out in the 'Social Housing Strategy 2020: Support, Supply and Reform'. Funding arrangements from this Department to facilitate HAP over the next 2 year period will be kept under close review in line with the numbers of customers in receipt of rent supplement and the progress of the roll out of HAP.

Officials in the Department continue to work closely with those in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and housing authorities to ensure the success of the HAP scheme.