Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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587. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase the rent threshold applicable under the housing assistance payment scheme for Galway city and county in view of the increases in rent in these areas, especially Galway city; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties persons are experiencing in accessing HAP assistance as a result of the rent threshold in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21996/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The HAP rent limits were increased significantly in July 2016, including by up to 60% in some areas. The Government also provided flexibility to each local authority to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the maximum rent limit, where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions.

At the end of Q4 2017, 22.4% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility. When the additional discretion available to homeless households in the Dublin Region is removed, 16.7% of households nationally were benefiting from the additional flexibility. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 15.2% above the relevant rent limits. In the Galway City Council area, at the end of Q4, 2017, 51% of households had benefited from additional discretion with the average rate being 15% above the applicable rent limits. In the Galway County Council area, at the end of Q4, 2017, 8.8% of households had benefited from additional discretion with the average rate being 13.4% above the relevant rent limits. Data for Q1 2018 will be available shortly.

My Department monitors HAP data on an ongoing basis, as well as other key information relating to the private rental market. Indications are that the current HAP 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 have no plans at present to increase HAP rent limits in particular local authority areas, a course of action which could have further inflationary effects on the private rented sector and thereby have a potentially detrimental impact on the wider rental market, including for those households who are not receiving HAP support.