Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase the maximum income limits for housing assistance payment, HAP, and the mortgage to rent scheme; if so, when; if there is discretion on the limits for the mortgage to rent scheme such as in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27160/18]

Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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274. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if matters raised in correspondence from persons (details supplied) will receive a reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27365/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 274 together.

The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who are eligible for social housing support whose mortgage is unsustainable and who have very limited options, if any to meet their long-term housing needs themselves.  One of the main criteria underpinning the MTR scheme is that it is a social housing option and therefore is targeted at those borrowers in arrears who qualify for social housing support as prescribed by the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011.  The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) programme is also a social housing support option available to those who qualify for social housing support. 

It is a matter for individual housing authorities to assess a household's income for social housing support eligibility in accordance with the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 which prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. As Minister, I am precluded from involvement in individual housing assessments, such as those outlined by the Deputies.

The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band are based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports has commenced. The Housing Agency is carrying out the detailed statistical work on behalf of my Department and I expect the results of this review to be available for publication in late Summer 2018.

The Abhaile service, formally launched by the Government in 2016, is a national mortgage arrears resolution service, provided free of charge to the borrower and its aim is to help mortgage holders in arrears to find the best solutions and keep them, wherever possible, in their own homes.  The unique element of Abhaile is that it brings together, for the first time, the full range of supports and services required by borrowers in home mortgage arrears.  A dedicated adviser will work with the borrower and their lender to find the best solution for their particular situation.  The Money Advice and Budgetary Service (MABS) acts as the gateway for the service and can be contacted by telephoning (076)1072000 or by accessing their website at: www.mabs.ie/abhaile.