Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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264. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the numbers in receipt of rent supplement fell from 71,533 in January 2015 to 61,247 at the end of 2015 and 57,605 at the end of March 2016; and the numbers currently in receipt of rent supplement. [18120/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 55,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016.

The numbers of rent supplement have been dropping at a pace since they reached a peak of over 97,000 in 2010. As the Deputy outlines, the numbers have continued to drop from 71,533 in January 2015 to 61,247 at the end of 2015.

There are many factors for the fall in rent supplement recipients including the improving economy and the fall in the Live Register. There are some 20,100 rent supplement recipients on the Live Register, representing circa 6.7% of the total May 2016 Live Register. The recent reduction in recipients can be mainly attributed to the significant change in rent supplement policy with the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need transfers to local authorities, under the auspices of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. HAP is currently operational in 19 of the 31 local authority areas with over 10,500 tenancies now in place. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), in operation since 2004, has also continued its operations in the transfer of rent supplement customers.

Officials in the Department of Social Protection are working closely with those in the lead Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the relevant local authorities, in supporting the further implementation of HAP with further local authorities expected to come on stream this autumn.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.