Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount spent on the housing assistance payment in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38235/18]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of recipients of the housing assistance payment since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38236/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together.

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. Budget 2018 increased the Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme to €301 million. This will allow for the continued support of existing HAP households and also enable the additional 17,000 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2018.

The expenditure on, and the number of households in receipt of, HAP on an annual basis are set out in the following Table.

At the end of Q2 2018, there were 37,751 active HAP tenancies in receipt of payment and over 21,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.

I am satisfied with how the HAP 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.