Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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80. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress of the housing assistance payment scheme, HAP, across each local authority; his views on whether it is on target to reach the numbers planned in Rebuilding Ireland; his further views on whether this scheme faces more challenges in areas of the country where rents are particularly high; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35481/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and the accelerated roll-out of the scheme on a national basis is an important early action for completion in Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. HAP is now available to all qualified households in 19 local authority areas, with over 14,900 households currently being supported by the scheme and around 10,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to those households. A breakdown of the number of households supported by HAP in each local authority area at the end of September 2016 is available on my Department’s website at the following link: .

Rebuilding Ireland commits to accelerating the roll out of the HAP scheme to nine further local authorities by the end of 2016 and the remaining three Dublin local authorities by the end of March 2017, completing the national roll-out of the scheme. An intensive programme of training for Cavan, Kerry, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow County Councils is currently ongoing in preparation for the proposed introduction of the scheme in these areas from 1 December 2016, subject to the necessary regulations being in place.

The full roll-out of the scheme will be completed by March 2017, with the introduction of HAP to the administrative areas of Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown and Fingal County Council. A multi-agency HAP Implementation Dublin Working Group has been established to advise and prepare for the introduction of the scheme to the Dublin region based on experience of the roll-out to date, and the particular pressures and characteristics of the rental market in Dublin.

Rebuilding Ireland also commits that an additional 12,000 households will be supported by HAP in 2016, and a further 15,000 new households in 2017. Reflecting on the current average weekly rate of new households being supported by the scheme (350 per week over the last three weeks , and 230 per week for the year to date ), I am confident that the 2016 target will be met.

The Action Plan makes a specific commitment that as part of the accelerated delivery of the scheme, the housing needs of 1,750 homeless households will be met through the Homelessness Pilot of the HAP scheme over 2016 and 2017 . As of 14 November 2016 a total of 594 tenancies had been set up under the pilot scheme this year, exceeding the Rebuilding Ireland target of 550 homeless households to be supported by the scheme in 2016.

While the level of supply in the rental market is challenging, HAP continues to offer many families stable and supported social housing. The recent increases to maximum rent limits underpinning the HAP scheme, together with the additional flexibility provided to local authorities in operating the scheme locally, mean that HAP can and will continue to offer families ongoing support and access to good quality housing in communities of their choice.