Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

754. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount paid out in Cork city and county under the HAP scheme since its commencement to date by municipal district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52971/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals.  At the end of Q3 2019, nearly 67,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 50,000 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 29,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme. 

Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord.  Accordingly, my Department does not recoup individual local authorities in respect of HAP rental payments in their administrative areas but rather recoups all landlord cost via the HAP SSC.

HAP commenced in Cork City in June 2015 and in Cork County in September 2014. The total number of active HAP tenancies at the end of Q3 2019 in Cork City was 2,658 and 3,383 in Cork County. Details of  HAP tenancies setup and average landlord payments in each year 2014 to 2019  for Cork City and County are set out in the table below:

My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review, which I consider to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under Rebuilding Ireland.