Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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292. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of the provision of rent supplement schemes in 2016 to 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3682/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Rent supplement continues its vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 24,300 recipients for which the Government has provided €132.4 million for 2019.

End of year statistics for rent supplement recipients and expenditure for the years 2016 to 2018 are provided in the following tabular statement.

The strategic goal of returning rent supplement to its original purpose; that of a short-term income support, has been primarily facilitated by the introduction of the HAP. The “Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness (July 2016), reiterated in the “Housing First National Implementation Plan 2018-2021” (September 2018), is to provide 87,000 flexible housing supports through the HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme between 2016 and 2021. As part of this commitment will be the transfer of those out of rent supplement with long term housing needs to HAP with a targeted completion date of these transfers by the end of 2020.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement:

Rent Supplement: Recipient Numbers & Expenditure 2016 - 2018