Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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71. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the phase-in schedule for the housing assistance payments scheme, HAP; the number of councils which currently have the HAP scheme; the current expenditure of the HAP scheme; the way in which the rates of the HAP scheme have been effective in succeeding in allowing persons to secure accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29006/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Some 13,600 households are currently being supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme across the 19 local authority areas where the scheme is operational, including eligible homeless households under the Homeless HAP Pilot scheme managed by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) for all four local authorities in the Dublin region. Some 9,500 separate landlords and agents are providing accommodation to those households supported by HAP. The phased nature of the HAP roll out has allowed for significant learning in the operation of the scheme. In this way, new HAP authorities have benefitted from the experience of those authorities where the scheme has been operational longest. The HAP Practitioners Group, which is made up of local authority staff and was established following a review of HAP governance structures earlier this year, meets regularly to discuss issues or opportunities they see to improve the operation of the scheme. My Department continues to work with key stakeholders, like the HAP Practitioners Group, who are also represented at the HAP Project Board, to ensure that the scheme's operation is as effective and efficient as possible. The table details when and where the scheme has been introduced to date:

HAP will be rolled out in nine more local authority areas (Cavan, Kerry, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow) before the end of 2016 with the remaining three Dublin authorities coming on stream in Quarter 1 2017. This will complete the full roll out of the scheme.

Funding for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme has increased year on year, since it commenced in September 2014, in order to meet the continuing costs of existing HAP households, and the costs of additional households being supported. In 2016 Exchequer funding allocated to HAP was €47.7m; 62% of this funding has been utilised to date and will be fully expended this year. The majority of this funding is to support ongoing rental payments to landlords in respect of existing HAP households and the cost of additional HAP tenancies as households find accommodation through the scheme during the year. Funding also includes the operational costs of the HAP Shared Service Centre, which provides a central transactional service for all local authorities where HAP is operational, and the costs of the HAP administrative payment made to local authorities operating the scheme.

The Programme for a Partnership Government committed to extending the capacity of local authorities to make discretionary payments, while providing a framework for the review of both Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rent limits taking account of geographic variations in market rents. The Government delivered on this commitment with the introduction of revised HAP and Rent Supplement rent limits with effect from 1 July 2016. Furthermore, additional flexibility above the existing HAP rent limits was made available to all HAP local authorities from the same date. Since the introduction of the increased HAP rent limits in July 2016 more than 2,500 pre-existing HAP households have received an increase in their level of support.

In general, I am very satisfied with how the HAP scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness. Having said that, my Department will of course, continue to keep the operation of the scheme under ongoing review.