Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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628. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of discretionary enhanced payments each month in each county since HAP was established and which are used to top up rental rates above local authority rent limits, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49035/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. There are currently more than 29,800 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 20,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments. A weekly average of  348 HAP tenancies have been set up during 2017, and more than 420 a week averaged over the last 5 weeks.

Recognising the pressures in the rental market, the Government increased the maximum rent limits available under the HAP scheme across the country with effect from 1 July 2016. Furthermore, additional flexibility above the existing HAP rent limits was made available to all local authorities operating the HAP scheme from the same date. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis.

The increased rent limits introduced by the Government last year, together with the additional discretion available to local authorities to exceed the maximum rent limit where necessary, are allowing HAP households to find suitable accommodation and willing landlords. Particular additional targeted supports are available to homeless households in the Dublin and Cork City regions to assist them in finding accommodation in the private rental market, with the support of HAP. I recently confirmed that the Place Finder Service available in these local authorities will be rolled out to all other local authorities.

It should be borne in mind that the HAP scheme was implemented on a statutory phased pilot basis and rolled out across local authorities incrementally over the last number of years.  The scheme became a national scheme on 1 March 2017, and the following table reflects the data available to my Department for all 31 local authorities at end of Q2 2017:

**Tenancy numbers reflected above show all HAP tenancies set up at end Q.2 2017 where the rent was agreed. A further 607 HAP tenancies were set up at this point, but were awaiting final rent agreement.

The Department will monitor this data each quarter, taking into consideration other sources of data such as the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) Rent Index and Average Rent Index Reports, which are published on a quarterly basis. The Rent Index Report is compiled by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), and based on the RTB’s own register of tenancies, the Rent Index reveals the actual rents being paid for rented properties.

This data together with the latest data on the use of discretion by local authorities, set out above, indicates that the current rent limits and the flexibility to exceed those rent limits provide local authorities with sufficient capacity to assist households in securing rented accommodation that meets their needs. I am satisfied with how the scheme is currently operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland.  My Department will, of course, continue to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review.