John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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702. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount that has been paid on the housing assistance payment and homeless housing assistance payments for 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50407/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 40,000 households having their housing needs met via HAP and some 25,500 separate landlords and agents currently in receipt of monthly HAP payments.

HAP 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 by €149 million to €301 million. This allowed for the continued support of existing HAP households and also to enable the additional 17,000 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2018.

Details on the funding provided for HAP for 2017 and to date in 2018 are set out in the following table:

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 the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.