Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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182. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the access to rent supplement to those who may not be on a local authority housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35619/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Rent supplement continues to play a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting some 49,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €267 million for in 2016.

The policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a short-term income support scheme for those who are temporarily unemployed. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), which has been in operation since 2014 and is a key pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, will, over time transfer responsibility for all those on rent supplement with long term housing needs to the local authorities. It is expected that HAP will be available in all local authorities in early 2017.

Rent supplement will continue to be paid to households who are already in the private rented sector but who, generally because of a loss of income through unemployment, require a short term income support to pay their rent. I have no plans to further extend access to rent supplement which would have to be considered in a budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.