Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the location a HAP applicant can redeem the full cost of rent which they have had to borrow in order to pay the rent while the HAP application is being processed; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a HAP application can take 12 to 15 weeks to be processed and is not backdated, therefore the applicant will have to borrow money to pay the rent in the interim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23831/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is administered by Local Authorities and overall policy responsibility for HAP rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. Matters relating to the processing times for HAP applications and the payment of arrears are primarily a matter for that Department.

Notwithstanding this, I understand that arrears may be paid in cases where a housing need assessment is complete; the applicant is accepted on the social housing list and a valid HAP application is received by the Local Authority.

The Deputy will be aware that the strategic policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement, with approximately 31,000 cases in payment, to its original purpose of being a short-term income support with the introduction of the HAP scheme. There are currently 36,500 HAP tenancies in payment, and officials in my Department will continue to support the transfer of cases from rent supplement who have long term social housing needs.

I suggest that the specific matter in relation to lead times in receiving rental payment via HAP is clarified with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.