Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a landlord is permitted to refuse to sign a housing assistance payment form for an existing tenant who started out the tenancy without rental support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40199/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 27,000 households being supported by HAP across the State, involving more than 20,000 separate landlords and agents. These numbers indicate that the Rebuilding Ireland target of 15,000 households to be supported by the scheme in 2017 will be met.  On average in 2017, more than 340 new households are being supported by the scheme each week and are having their housing need met by sourcing private rental accommodation with agreement of landlords and agents.

HAP addresses many long standing issues raised by landlord groups in relation to the operation of Rent Supplement. The HAP payment is made directly to the landlord on the tenant’s behalf and all payments are made electronically directly to the landlord - the landlord does not have to collect the rent. The scheme has a 99% differential rent collection rate, with minimal arrears arising for tenants or local authorities, and a 99% rent payment rate with minimal difficulties arising for landlords. Furthermore, any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the HAP scheme. HAP recipients can avail of full-time work and retain their housing support, with an adjustment in their differential rent; under Rent Supplement, these households would lose their housing support payment.

In order to provide access to information on the scheme to interested parties, a new HAP website, www.hap.ie, was launched earlier this year and provides prospective HAP tenants and landlords with the information that they need to understand how the HAP scheme works.  Local authorities are also promoting the scheme locally, and engaging with letting agents and landlords who might be interested in entering into a HAP tenancy. HAP provides landlords with many advantages including that the landlord does not have to collect the rent; payments are made electronically directly to the landlord on the tenant's behalf; landlords who rent to tenants in receipt of HAP may avail of increased tax relief; and changes in a tenant's employment circumstances do not affect the rental payments made to the landlord.

A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, since 1 January 2016, a person cannot be discriminated against when renting because they are in receipt of certain payments, including HAP. If a person feels that they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, they can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts to the Workplace Relations Commission. Further information is available on the Commission's website, . 

My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of HAP and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.