Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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1831. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if housing assistance payment will eventually replace the longterm rent supplement scheme; if these two schemes are still in existence; the differences between the two schemes; the person or body which administers both schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37628/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1867. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement that have transferred to the housing assistance payment in 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38134/17]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1901. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement, by county, in tabular form; the number of households in each county that have rent supplement increased above the prescribed limits for their area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38567/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1831, 1867 and 1901 together.

In recognition of the on-going rental market difficulties, the Department continues to implement a targeted case-by-case policy approach in the administration of rent supplement that allows for flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the rent limits. In addition, the Protocol arrangement in place with Threshold continues to operate in the areas where supply issues are particularly acute covering Dublin, Cork, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow and Galway City. To date in 2017, in excess of 1,360 recipientshave been supported with increased rent payments. A county breakdown of these payments, along with statistics in relation to rent supplements recipients as at end August 2017 is provided in the attached tabular statement.

A key difference between rent supplement and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is their intended target customer base. Under HAP, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance for those with a long-term social housing is met by the local authorities, under the auspices of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG). 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.

In general, persons who are in receipt of rent supplement for over 18 months are being requested to contact their local authority to have their housing needs assessed beginning the transfer process to HAP. New applicants who have been deemed as having long term housing needs are being supported by the Local Authorities under HAP directly rather than seeking rent supplement support.

Under HAP, the local authority pays the rent directly to the landlord and the HAP recipient will then pay a rent contribution to the local authority. The rent contribution is a differential rent, which is set by the local authority based on income and the customer’s ability to pay. A significant difference between the HAP scheme and rent supplement is that HAP has been designed to allow households with a long term housing need to secure full-time employment and continue to remain in the scheme. There are currently 26,400 HAP tenancies in place of which some 7,980 (30%) are direct transfers from rent supplement. Details of rent supplement recipients transferring to HAP in 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017 are provided in the attached tabular statement. Under the targets outlined in the Action plan for Housing and Homelessness – Rebuilding Ireland, the aim is to complete the transfers from rent supplement by 2020.

Officials in my Department continue to work closely with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and local authorities to facilitate the ongoing transfer of cases from rent supplement.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputies.