Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of correspondence requiring them to transfer to HAP from rent supplement; the number of persons whose rent supplement has been consequently terminated and are not in receipt of HAP, leaving them with no financial assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46884/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need is transferring to local authorities. The strategic policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short-term income support scheme.

The HAP scheme has been rolled out on incremental basis since 2014 and, as of 1st March 2017, it is now available in all 31 local authorities.

My Department works closely with local authorities to facilitate the transfer of long-term rent supplement recipients to HAP tenancies.As at the end of October 2018, there are 41,947 HAP tenancies in place, of which 10,279 transferred directly from long-term rent supplement with 2,949 rent supplement cases transferred during 2018.

Statistics are not maintained of cases where rent supplement is stopped due to the customer transferring to HAP and where the payment of HAP has not subsequently proceeded. If the Deputy is aware of any cases where a rent supplement claimant has experienced such difficulties, she should bring the case to the attention of the Department and my officials will follow up on them.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.