Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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117. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancies that have been secured in 2014, 2015 and 2016; the length of time each of these tenancies is for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8954/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are currently more than 18,000 households supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in 28 local authority areas, including homeless households being supported by the DRHE operated scheme for the Dublin Region. Since the commencement of the phased statutory roll-out of HAP in September 2014, the following numbers of additional households have been supported in each year of the scheme’s operation:

HAP supported tenancies are agreed between the landlord and the tenant; the local authority is not a party to the tenancy and has no role in its agreement. There is no limitation placed by the scheme on the length of tenancy that can be supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). However, as with other private rental tenancies, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended) governs the relationship between landlord and tenant and the length of the tenancy is a matter that must be agreed between the landlord and tenant in that context. My Department does not hold information in relation to the length of individual tenancies.

Under the HAP scheme, tenants supported by the scheme are expected to stay in their current tenancy for a minimum period of two years, unless there are exceptional reasons for moving tenancy. Such exceptional reasons include moving for the purpose of employment, further education, family or health reasons.