Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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301. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will examine an issue (details supplied) and take measures to resolve same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30842/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The roll-out of the HAP scheme brings together all the social housing services provided by the State under the single umbrella of the local government system and removes a barrier to employment by allowing households to continue to receive HAP support even if their income increases or they gain full-time employment. The scheme has been rolled out on an incremental basis and is currently operational in 19 local authority areas, currently supporting more than 14,000 households, including eligible homeless households, and some 9,500 separate landlords and agents acting on behalf of landlords are receiving a monthly HAP payment. HAP payments can also be made to a Trust, as I understand is the case referred to here. Upon commencement of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme in a local authority administrative area, the availability of Rent Supplement support is altered and in general Rent Supplement will no longer be available to any new applicant households that have an identified long-term housing need.

Local authorities, where HAP is operational, are working closely with local Department of Social Protection staff to transfer eligible households from the Rent Supplement scheme to HAP. Tenants who are currently in receipt of Rent Supplement and who qualify for social housing support will be transferred to HAP over time. The process of transferring households from Rent Supplement to HAP is carefully managed in order to ensure that no gaps in support arise within the transfer process.

A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, since 1 January 2016, a person cannot be discriminated against when renting because they are getting one of certain payments, which includes HAP, so landlords can no longer state when advertising accommodation that HAP is not accepted. If a person feels that they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, they can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts.

The operation of the Rent Supplement scheme is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.