Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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13. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of households and the equivalent number of persons that are in receipt of rent supplement, HAP and RAS in Galway city and county; the cost of rent supplement, HAP and RAS in Galway city and county for 2015 and 2016; the number of households that have had their rent increased above the prescribed rent supplement; the breakdown of one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom and so on of those households; the monetary value of those increases in 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2175/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) which has been rolled out to local authorities on a phased basis was commenced in the Galway County Council administrative area on 16 November 2015 and in the Galway City Council administrative area on 1 February 2016. As HAP is rolled out nationally and replaces Rent Supplement for households with a long- term housing need, the number of households transferring to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) will decrease. In the meantime, RAS continues to be an effective and secure form of social housing support that local authorities have been utilising in order to secure additional social housing.

In relation to HAP, at the end of 2015, seven households were being supported by HAP in the Galway County administrative area at a total cost of €548 in that year. At the end of 2016, an additional 381 households were supported by HAP in the administrative area of Galway County Council, with a provisional cost of €734,177 for the full year.

336 households were supported by HAP in the administrative area of Galway City Council at a provisional cost of €650,542 at the end of 2016, which was the first year of the scheme’s operation in the city.

In relation to RAS, at the end of 2015, 420 households were supported by RAS in Galway City with a further 391 households supported in the Galway County area. To end November 2016, a further 48 households had been transferred to RAS in Galway City and 21 new transfers to RAS in Galway County during 2016. The final number of households supported in 2016 in these two local authorities is being collated and will be provided on my Department’s website along with the figures for all other local authorities once available.

The cost of RAS in Galway City was €3.8m and €3.6m in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The cost of RAS in Galway County was €2.15m and €2.03m in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Details on the number of persons in each household supported by any of social housing schemes funded by my Department are not held by my Department; these would be a matter for the local authorities concerned.

Information relating to the cost of, and tenancies supported by, Rent Supplement is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Social Protection.