Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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328. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of persons in receipt of 5%, 10%, 20% and over 20% top-ups on their HAP by local authority in 2020. [3898/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned.

Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it, or up to 50% in the case of homeless households in the Dublin region. It is a matter for the local authority to determine, on a case by case basis, whether, and to what extent, the application of the flexibility is warranted.

The table below shows the number of households at the end of Q3 2020, broken down by local authority, who are in receipt of discretion.

Discretion Bands @ 30-09-2020